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Allen Domelle

Listening to the Right Voices

Acts 27:11

Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

As Paul was being transferred to Rome for his trial, the ship they transferred him on encountered a great storm. Paul advised the centurion to dock the ship in Lasea, but the owner felt that would not be a good place to stay because the haven was not commodious to winter in. Instead of listening to Paul, the centurion listened to the voice of the owner of the ship, and his choice not to listen to the preacher led them to eventually crash in a storm that was more fierce than they initially faced.

Like the centurion, many people listen to the wrong voice. The centurion should have listened to Paul, and had he listened to the man of God, he would have avoided the fierce storm and the eventual crashing of the ship. Many find their lives in greater storms because they refuse to listen to the man of God. I cannot tell you how many times I have watched people go against what I have preached or privately advised only to see them in a greater storm later in their lives. My friend, listening to the right voice is critical to your future and to the future of your family. Let me share the voices you should listen to in your life.

First, listen to the voice of truth. Truth may not always be the easiest voice to listen to, but the voice of truth always leads you to the right paths to walk in life. The voice of truth is often a lone voice, but the voice of truth is the only voice that helps you avoid the self-made storms that cause many spiritual casualties. The voice of truth will be spoken against by the “smart people” of the day, but the “smart people” of the day are often the dumbest people because they refuse to listen to truth’s track record that has never been wrong. The voice of truth may be the hardest voice to listen to, but it will never lead you wrong.

Second, listen to the voice of challenge. Do not listen to the voices that say it cannot be done. There are many voices that say you can't build something great for God in this present day, but I would rather listen to the voices that say it can be done and be challenged to do something great for God. Those who listen to the voices of negativity criticize those who listen to the voice of challenge, but those who listen to the voice of challenge are those who often make the voice of the critics look foolish when they succeed at the impossible. I would rather fail at accepting the challenge to do something great for God because I listened to the voice of challenge than succeed at doing nothing because I listened to the negative voices that say it can't be done. You will always do more in life if you listen to the voices that challenge you than you ever will by listening to the voices of negativity.

Third, listen to the voice of faith. Whenever the voice of faith speaks, you will always find the voice of fear will speak up. The voice of fear will scare you into hibernating, but the voice of faith encourages you to move forward despite fear’s warnings. I have learned that the voices of fear are wrong nearly every time. I will not let the one time the voice of fear is right to stop me from accomplishing what the voice of faith will help me to accomplish every time. Faith always brings you further when facing the impossible than the voice of fear will ever bring you. Listen to the voice of faith, and you will know what it is like to accomplish the impossible.

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