What’s the loudest voice in your head?

We are influenced by many factors – family and friends, TV, movies, music, books, speakers, podcasts, social media, and even our own thoughts. Those are all voices we hear, but who are you listening to and how much do you control what you hear?

I’m part of a group that is reading The One Year Bible together and we have a GroupMe app in which we share a text that might have stood out or was inspirational, or even gave us pause or produced a good question. In today’s reading from Matthew 12:

            “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”

So maybe if your words are negative, sharp and short, critical, or anything less than what you desire, there’s a strong chance your heart needs help. So, what are you allowing into your heart? What do you think about and can you control your thoughts? Of course you can, but it takes discipline and perhaps some tough decisions, such as:

·      Removing some music from your playlist

·      Limiting what you watch and limiting screen time

·      Keeping conversations positive and productive

·      Removing negative voices and finding a positive Source!

Are you in need of encouragement and inspiration?

Do you need more positivity and some good vibrations?

Could you use more happy thoughts?

Then consider what you are seeing and hearing. Stop the negative input, remove the noise, then find and start hearing from some good sources. The best source is God himself, but you won’t hear him unless you’re listening. 

Last week my wife and I worked through a major decision in our lives and I could not seem to find peace about it. In fact, Saturday night I fell asleep quickly, as I always do, but then found myself awake, thinking about our decision, even wrestling with it. And I absolutely could not get it out of my head and get back to sleep. Finally, after 1:00am I was able to rest, but found myself awake again at 5:00am. I got up and kept trying to work through all options and was convicted that we needed to back off and go a different direction. When we discussed it, we discovered it was the right decision and we both found peace.

I’m not saying God spoke to me, but also in today’s reading was this verse in Psalms 16, where David shares, “I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.”

In order for God to counsel you or for your heart to instruct you, it is necessary to listen. So, the question of the day – Who is the loudest voice in your head?

As Samuel finally realized the 3rd time he heard God’s voice, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” 

Remove the noise. Find a new source (and I strongly urge you to consider THE Source.) And listen.

It can be the difference in your attitude, your outlook and even your decisions.

Make it happen.