Why is it important to hear from God?

Pic by Chloe Lewis

Maturity

     Most people do not go through the effort of seeking God and the truth of His word, on their own. The majority of church-goers prefer to get told what to believe. This is both the fault of the church leadership and the individual too. But why is this a problem? Can't the pastor just hear from God and tell the people what he thinks God wants them to know?
     No, this makes for a vast segment of believers who don't know why they believe what they believe, making it impossible for them to replicate these beliefs in others. Our mandate on earth is to 'make disciples of all nations', insinuating that we should teach others and train them up in the faith. We can't do this if we don't have our own understanding on why we believe and why it is important to tell others about what we believe. It's not the paid pastors job, it is the responsibility of every mature believer to spread the good news.
     Immature Christians are ineffective for the kingdom of God, as their beliefs and revelations are from the outside in and not from the inside out, often causing more damage than good! We must allow God to speak to us, His words are truth and life, setting us free from the desception of immaturity.

Insecurity

     If you don't hear God’s voice on a regular basis, our only option is to be insecure. If you never hear God’s voice, there is no way you can confidently be about God’s business. No way you can know if you are in His will and no way of knowing whether the decisions you are making are the right ones. You are constantly in doubt, easily offended and easily swayed. Not the place you want to be. The church is rife with insecure Christians, always worried about popular opinion, happily letting their destinies slip through their hands due to the fear of rejection, which is at the root of insecurity.
     One word from God and everyone else's opinions seem trivial. Regularly hearing from Him will catapult your life into a life of passion and purpose. Knowing His heart for your life, in every situation, is when we really start to live!
    
    Practise hearing His voice, make it a priority in your life. Read His word as though it is Him speaking to you; ask the Holy Spirit to drop thoughts, ideas and unctions in your heart about situations, both present and future. Listen to your spirit-filled friends and leaders, open your heart and see what the Lord is saying through them! We can't afford to not hear His voice, we can't afford to be average: You were born for greatness!
His grace is sufficient for us!