By David Park, InterHigh Mentor, Junior @ UC Berkeley

Just as sheep “follow [the shepherd] because they know his voice,” have I learned to recognize Jesus’ voice?

In the past couple of years, a major part of growing in my relationship with Jesus has been learning to recognize his voice and then following it. It’s been learning to recognize whether my thoughts, desires, or actions are in line with what Jesus desires from my life. It’s been tough, because it’s never easy when you realize the way you’ve been living and the way you view the world are not in line with what Jesus teaches. In those moments, you are compelled to change; though it may be painful, I know that in those moments, when I had to make the choice to follow Jesus’  voice rather than my own, I have grown closer to God. Also, I must remember that I can’t follow Jesus’ voice unless I can recognize his voice, which means I have to study the Bible and know what it is that Jesus desires from his followers. One of the ways I know I’ve been able to grow was to take each devotional personally and to listen to each sermon or bible study with the mindset that it directly applies to me. How can I follow the shepherd, if I do not know what his voice sounds like?

Are there other voices that I heed that have muffled Jesus’ voice in my life?

There are so many voices that scream at me to listen every day. They can come from so many sources: friends, family, media, music, desires, etc. Currently, I think my own personal desires most often muffles Jesus’ voice in my life. My personal desires can range from the temptations I feel and my impulse to satisfy these or from my desire to live a comfortable life, both on a day-to-day basis and for the long term. These desires make me lukewarm, afraid and unwilling to follow Jesus’ radical call. It causes me to lose sight of Jesus who wants to lead me to a fulfilling life. My personal desires call out to me, claiming that only through fulfilling these desires will I be happy. But I want to practice self-control. I want to practice delayed gratification. I have to constantly remind myself that I must seek to follow Jesus’ voice, and this means drowning out the other voices which cause me to miss what Jesus is trying to tell me.

By Paul Lee, InterHigh Staff

John 10:3-5

Are there other voices that I heed that have muffled Jesus’ voice in my life?

… Another voice I have thought a lot about last few months is the voice of the world’s philosophy. Romans 12:2 says, “do not confirm any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. Practically speaking, it is the voice of social norms. The voice that speaks “truths” found in social norms in order to get me to focus on what I desire. It is good to pursue the best job. It is good to pursue marriage. It is good to have personal time to relax or rejuvenate. True statements. Yes. But when such things become idols or become an excuse to indulge myself with what I desire – it is not. No one in the world would argue with such statements, but the reason no one would argue with that is because that is the pattern we find in the world. I am called not to follow these patterns but to have a biblical perspective. God clearly says to seek his kingdom first. Matthew 6:33 says “but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all things will be given to you as well”. God says very clearly that my first and foremost priority should be to seek his kingdom or in other words, to love and serve God and others. To live a life focused on others in this way is not something that comes naturally for me. As a sinner, I am always inclined to think of my own desires first. For me to be renewed in my mind from these patterns, I need to be able to let even these good things become a secondary issue in my life and not let these social norms dictate everything I do simply because they have been built into me. I need to be rooted in my daily DTs to properly align my mind with what God desires on a daily basis. I also need to be constantly alert and practically find ways to give up the things I desire for the sake of others.