“…the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice” (Jn 10:4). This verse is one of the keys to growing in the spiritual life and becoming a disciple of Jesus. Amidst all the voices, distractions, diversions, and temptations clamoring for our attention, we want to develop an ear to hear and a mind to discern his voice. There are so many directions we can take and opportunities we can be enticed by, many that are detrimental, but more challenging those that are good in and of themselves.
Jesus came to us so that we “might have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10). To live life to the fullest, to actualize our potential, we need to be able to discern the distinction between apparent goods and the true Good. An apparent good is appealing, attractive, and desirable, though once experienced, we conclude that it was indeed not good for us after all. We can see this in the promotion of processed foods, with additives and an excess incentive of enticing the taste buds with salts and sugars. The experience of eating many of these products is that they taste good going down, especially if eaten quickly and not savored, such that we often eat them to excess. They not only have little, if any nutritional value, more importantly, if this is the main source of our nutrition, over time, we will feel the ill affects of eating in this way.
When I sit down to eat pizza, there are two clear voices. One voice encourages an eating of the whole pie in one sitting, while another urges a balanced two-slice approach. I will let you decide which is my voice and which is the voice of the Shepherd 😉 The same is true regarding how we spend our time and treasure. We all have the same amount of time in the day. In what ways do we use our time, who is it that we are listening to regarding how we use the time we have been given? What are we investing our treasure in? Do we listen to the Father of Lies or the Good Shepherd?
A good practice for developing an ear to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd is to resist making decisions impulsively, no matter how small. When a decision comes to mind let us make time to pray with Jesus and seek his guidance, and resist making an impulsive decision, regarding food, purchases, jobs, and relationships. In all areas of our lives, let us pray before we do anything! We can ask ourselves each time, is what I am about to decide hindering or helping me to become a better disciple, to be true to myself and who God is calling me to be?
Over time and through various experiences we will come to better discern the voice of Jesus. It is also a good practice to have a core group of people we can talk over decisions with to get their perspective, to help keep us accountable, and to help us to stay on the path. In this way, we can also learn to hear the words of Jesus through others.
May we have ears to hear the Good Shepherd’s voice today, and each day going forward as well as the courage and humility in each instance to follow his will!
Photo: Enjoying a great burrito with Mia, Mission District, San Francisco a few years ago!
Spiritual Stepping Stones