Altar
Call – Opelika-Auburn News
Walter
Albritton
February
26, 2012
Many voices clamor for our attention in
this noisy world
Admit you “hear voices” in your mind and
people may think you are strange. Some
serial killers have blamed their violence on “voices” in their head. But weird
as it may seem, many Christians claim to hear a voice that guides and comforts
them.
At the risk of your concluding that I am
weird I admit that I am such a Christian. For some 60 years I have heard a
voice within my mind and heart. I was in my mid-twenties when I heard the
evangelist E. Stanley Jones talk about listening to what he called “the Inner
Voice.”
It
was a new concept for me but I seized it as a fresh new way of relating to God.
That day I began earnestly to listen to and obey the Inner Voice of Jesus. Though
I have not always fully obeyed the guidance I heard, I can testify that the
Inner Voice has never given me bad counsel. Whenever I have obeyed I have been
blessed. And the more I have heard, the more I have wanted to hear, not so much
with my ears as with my heart and soul.
Jones helped me to believe that when the
Inner Voice speaks he is always wise, practical and sensible. It was Jones’
habit to rise early every morning and spend time at his “listening post.” One
morning, though he was dogged tired from having slept only a couple of hours
that night, he dragged himself out of bed to keep his appointment with the
Inner Voice. With a grin Jones said the Voice told him to go back to bed since
he needed more sleep! I find it easy to trust a God like that!
On my journey I have found the guidance of
the Inner Voice to be consistent with the teachings of Jesus found in the
Bible. That is not surprising because the Inner Voice and Jesus are one and the
same. But I do believe it important to constantly test the teaching of the
Inner Voice with the teaching of the Holy Scriptures. The Inner Voice actually
counsels me to do that and doing so helps me avoid
confusing His Voice with some of the other inner “voices” clamoring for my
attention.
My decision to listen to the Inner Voice
was further confirmed for me by the marvelous Quaker writer D. Elton Trueblood.
Speaking in a conference in Oklahoma City Elton offered what was for me a
profound definition of a Christian. He said that a Christian is someone who
“hears many voices” amidst the noise and confusion of the world but “One Voice”
gets his attention. That is the voice of
Jesus Christ. Listening to and obeying that voice the Christian begins to “know
the joy of being used for a mighty purpose by which his little life is
dignified.” As he spoke I felt my heart pounding Yes, Yes, Yes!
In recent years I have been blessed by the
writing of the eminent theologian N. T. Wright. He too urges Christians to
listen to the voice of God and obey it as best they can. Wisely, Wright advises
us that the one place where we can be sure to hear the voice of God is “in the
cry of those in need.” That has been true for me. I have often heard the Inner
Voice speak directly to me through the cries of the poor, especially helpless
widows and orphans.
What, you might ask, have I heard the
Inner Voice say to me? You can figure that out rather quickly; he tells me the
same things he tells any sinner who is listening! Sometimes he says quietly,
“You were wrong; repent, apologize, and ask forgiveness from those you
offended.” And unless and until I obey his voice, he says nothing else. His
silence is a great motivator so I get busy trying to obey.
At other times he affirms me, reminding me
that I am loved despite my sins and as long as I am willing, he is willing to
let me do things that will bring joy and dignity to my little life. Now and
then he grants me the great joy of knowing that I was in the right place at the
right time doing what he wanted me to do.
More than anything I constantly hear him
whispering, “I am with you. I am your Lord. I will help you as long as you lean
on me. Keep listening to me and you will not go astray. Look every day for ways
to help your brothers and sisters who are in need. I will give you the grace
you need to do my will. And never forget that in spite of your weaknesses, I
love you. You are mine and I am yours, now and forever.”
Hearing such a voice makes me glad to be
alive despite the pain and heartache of this broken world. And every day I pray
for the courage to keep saying as long as I have breath, “Yes, Lord, whatever
you say!” + + +