Elaine Vitikainen
Lately I’ve been reflecting on the amount of information that I’m provided each day. Every day there is an enormous opportunity to acquire facts or learn about something or someone. There are many forums and discussions in which I can participate. There are many networks of which I can be a part. We live in a connected world where social media and digital technology is becoming increasingly essential. It has taken space not just at the workplace but also in our personal lives. How do we manage the large amount of daily information?
It’s not really the information that I fear. I’m afraid of how the world is offering so many voices to silence God in my life. How do we hear God in this noisy world? Can we respond as Samuel did when God called to the little lad? Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen” (1 Sam. 3:10). God does not typically speak in an audible voice, but God is indeed speaking to us. Will God’s voice be a background noise which competes with the noise around us?
Pause and Reflect
Recall three examples from your own life and ministry when you know for certain that you heard from God.
- How can you make this experience of hearing God a more consistent part of your normal life?
- How will you amplify God’s voice in your life instead of letting it be drowned out?
- As an organization, how are you listening to God? How are you seeking God’s guidance and direction?