There is this device used in stories about super heroes.
Especially pertinent to those with heightened senses. The device goes something like this. The character who will become the super hero comes across whatever it is that makes them a super hero. Then there’s a stage of disorientation, it’s as though their senses are immediately bombarded with everything around them. The experience of sensory overload gets to a stage when the character wonders if they will recover from the pain. What happens eventually, though, is that the character learns to harness their new powers and become capable of controlling the sensory data they now have at their advantage.
As someone who enjoys the occasional super hero movie or comic book, it’s a device that’s familiar, but nonetheless enjoyable to see.
Recently I was reflecting on what it is to learn to follow Jesus. There is an element of excitement that comes along with following Him. There is something exciting about experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit. There is, however, also something about dealing with things when the enthusiasm and euphoria dies down a little. There were things that you dealt with in a particular way before, that now requires a different way of dealing with it because of who you follow. Then there are the sounds that surround you. Previously it didn’t bother you because it wasn’t about you, but now there are internal noises about whether or not you can maintain this spiritual excitement; there are nagging fears as to whether or not you will keep going when things get difficult. Then there are the noises of ‘concerned’ friends around you. They ‘check up’ on you which is really seeing if you will return to the same old you that they enjoyed before. They make subtle and not so subtle hints that perhaps you’d be better off returning to what you knew. Then there are the ‘helpful’ brethren in your new life who are keen to remind you of the things you should now conform to because of who you belong to now (and they are primarily referring to them as a group rather than Jesus).
The sounds and noises and buzzing and humming and chatter and natter build up over time and it can get overwhelming. There’s no easy way out of this. There’s a lesson to learn. It’s a similar lesson you learn in life, but all the more important in following Jesus. That lesson is how to employ selective hearing. The reality is that those sounds and noises will not go away. They will change in nature and content, but they will always be around from without and within. One thing you are able to do with help from the Holy Spirit is to tune out the noise that does not help in your walk. That ability to pick up what there is to pick up and disregard the noise is definitely something to learn. Picking up the wrong thing can leave you in a bad state for days and weeks at a time. Paying attention to what was not for you can seriously derail your walk. Over time, however, and especially with intentional focus on learning to hear the voice of the Lord, you can develop that discerning ability. When it all comes together it can be a joyous existence. Certain things that others don’t pick up and notice, you can latch onto and relish. Certain other loud and demanding noises that threaten to overwhelm you can be sidestepped by focusing on a sound that reminds you of the peace that is in you because of Jesus.
It is all about selective hearing and the wisdom offered allows you to select the best sounds to help not just you but others as well. Hearing the right sound at the right time can be a massive help to someone who themselves might be burdened because of listening to the wrong sources. Selective hearing is something to desire and something to learn and then something to enjoy and continue to grow in and encourage others to as you keep travelling.
Godly wisdom for keen discernment is far greater than any super power, because it’s a gift from the Creator. A gift available to those who will ask for it and patiently grow in it.
(Photo by HIVAN ARVIZU on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 