Is This the Holy Spirit or Just My Thoughts?

Have you ever wondered, is this just my emotions, are these just my thoughts, or is this the voice of the Holy Spirit? Many Christians feel confused by that question. On one hand, they don’t want to just act out on their every impulse or thought, thinking it’s the Holy Spirit when it’s not. On the other hand, they don’t want to ignore the Holy Spirit if He is, in fact, speaking to them.

While there are many keys to removing distraction and quieting your mind (keys that make it easier to recognize the Holy Spirit’s voice among the noise), there’s one key in particular that I think is especially helpful. At first, it won’t sound spiritual, but it’s one of the most spiritual things you can do.

Quieting Your Mind

You see, many believers struggle with what I call religious OCD. They live under the constant torment of wondering if they missed God. They feel guilty for ignoring some of the thoughts that rush through their mind, feeling condemned because they might have missed a divine command. 

If that’s you, you’ll find this especially helpful. Here’s that key: relax.

Trusting God’s Ability To Get Through To You

Here’s what Scripture says:

“Suddenly the Lord called out, ‘Samuel!’ ‘Yes?’ Samuel replied. ‘What is it?’ He got up and ran to Eli. ‘Here I am. Did you call me?’ ‘I didn’t call you,’ Eli replied. ‘Go back to bed.’ So he did. Then the Lord called out again, ‘Samuel!’ Again, Samuel got up and went to Eli. ‘Here I am. Did you call me?’ ‘I didn’t call you, my son,’ Eli said. ‘Go back to bed.’ Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. ‘Here I am. Did you call me?’” - 1 Samuel 3:4–8 (NLT)

Notice that the Holy Spirit was speaking to Samuel repeatedly. Even though Samuel didn’t know it, the Holy Spirit was trying to get his attention. The Spirit at that moment in the text had spoken three times until Samuel went back and finally recognized that it was him. 

Here’s an important takeaway: there’s a difference between resisting while knowing God is speaking to you and not knowing whether or not God is speaking to you. God is gracious and understands our human frailties. 

But we can rest in this: God knows how to get through to us. Trust not in your ability to hear the Holy Spirit but in the Holy Spirit’s ability to make Himself heard.

For more on the voice of the Holy Spirit, watch my full teaching, “If You’ve Never Heard The Holy Spirit Clearly… Here's How,” on YouTube by clicking here.

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