WHO HAS YOUR ATTENTION?

You might be wondering, “What do you mean by that?” The question, “Who has your attention?”, has an answer that only you can give. We all know that God knows the right answer, but let us find out if you know the proper answer. In 1 Corinthians 14:10 it states:

There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. KJV

There are many voices (things) that we can put our attention on. We can get so easily distracted by all the many voices screaming and trying to woo us (seduce us) into following them. We are going to mention just a few of those voices in this article today.

You have the voice of your flesh, oh yes, your physical body (the flesh) most certainly has a voice. It is Monday morning and it’s raining and cold outside. You hear your alarm clock go off, it is time for you to get up and go to work (school, cook breakfast, pray, etc….). You know it is right in your heart but your body only considers itself. Your body doesn’t want to leave the comfort of the warm bed, it is comfortable and very content to rest. Ok, right there you have the choice to listen to your body by staying in bed longer or do you put the flesh under by getting up immediately. We all know that if you stay in bed longer you risk being late for whatever task you had scheduled. You know that time can not be replaced later on that day. Your heart desired for your body to get up simply because it was suppose to. Your spirit will try to rule your body, but likewise your fleshly body will try to dominate your spirit.

Galatians 5:17
The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. NLT

Notice that this verse confirms the fact that your body is constantly talking to you. Your physical body has a will of it’s own trying to woo you (persuade you) into following it into the ways of the flesh. In another example; you just got finished eating a wonderful dinner, being full and satisfied you just couldn’t eat another bite. The voice of your flesh speaks, “Dessert would be good right now?” Your heart knows you don’t need any more food. The battle is initiated with the questions, “Are you going to get dessert right now anyway?” Who wins? Does your body (flesh) win again or do you push pass the flesh and say I going to pass on dessert right now because I’m not hungry. If you choose the latter (no dessert) you are fulfilling the scriptures found in 1 Corinthians 9:25-27

25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. NKJV

And 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 in the Amplified Version

25 Now every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things. They do it to win a wreath that will soon wither, but we [do it to receive a crown of eternal blessedness] that cannot wither.
26 Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary.
27 But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit]. AMP

As you can see the body does have a voice that speaks it’s own will. God uniquely created us, so that we can function down here on earth by being able to communicate with the natural earth and a spiritual God. Listening to our bodies if there is pain or some malfunction is easy because your heart would already know something is wrong. That is God’s system to alert us that something needs to be attended to. That is not an evil thing but rather your body working as God designed it to work, that is a good thing. What I am saying is that we are not to allow our bodies (the flesh) to determine our course in life. Our flesh should not dictate over our born-again heart. We are instructed in God’s Word to be good stewards over our bodies. Our bodies are not to govern over our inner man of the heart. We, as Children of God, are suppose to govern our body in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen!

The next voice I want to mention is the voice of reasoning. This is another common problem in the Body of Christ but it may not be easily recognized. We are not to be body ruled, nor are we to be mind ruled by human (carnal) reasoning. We are not to lean to our own understanding according to Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. KJV

And Romans 8:6-7
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. KJV

Carnal mindedness means human wisdom, fleshly natural thinking. We are instructed not to lean to our own way of thinking. This is considered another voice, some call it the voice of intellectual independence. This voice will always find an answer apart from God. There is always a reason for everything that exists in the earth today. The voice of human reasoning will always draw the conclusion toward man instead of God. If the Lord spoke to your heart and told you to do a specific thing what would happen next. Generally your mind will try to figure it all out. It will ask several questions of reason. Does this make good sense? Is now a good time to do this? Why, am I thinking about this? How do I know this is God? Your mind wants to reason about it to convince itself that it is a good ideal. Your mind likes to take credit for all good ideals. It does not like to admit when it is not the source of all bright ideals. That is why reasoning and human intellect want you to do everything the way they see fit. This is why we need to renew our mind with the Word of God. In Ephesians 4:23-24 it states

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. KJV

We are to renew our minds with the Word of God so we will think right thoughts. These right words of God will renew our mind to transform our body as described in Romans 12:1-2

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. NIV

We must utilize our God given rights of choice. The Lord tells us what to choose and shows us how to think by giving us a guide in Philippians 4:6-8;

6 In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. ASV

The Lord not only gave us a body so we could function down here as servants of God but He also gave us the mind of Christ so that we can think like God.

1 Corinthians 2:16
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. KJV

And Philippians 2:5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: KJV

He also in His infinite Mercy equipped us with the ability to think and to have the ability to acquire knowledge. It is wonderful that we have this ability but we should use this ability for the glory of God. The knowledge we should use is the understanding of God’s Word. If we do not check-in with God for our daily decisions we are left unchecked to receive God’s Promises. Any non-choice for God is automatically allowing the flesh and/or human reasoning to dominate our life. Ungodly choices are not wise primarily because God is not glorified and we are left to an unmerciful world of harsh judgement. Jesus is to be Lord over our life. We lord over our body by walking in the Spirit. We lord over our mind by renewing it with God’s Word. We are not to live by the wit of our human reasoning, nor are we to live our life on the whims of our emotions. We are a three part being – Spirit, soul and body.

Keeping this order will keep you out of trouble when your spirit is lead by God’s Spirit. Your soul is renewed and reflective of God’s Word and your body is brought under subjection to God’s Will.

1 Thessalonians 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. KJV

The next voice is our emotions, like I stated earlier we are not to be ruled solely based upon how we feel about someone, some church or about a particular situation. We are Christians who build our house upon the Rock of God’s Word to overcome all the storms (trying circumstances) of life. We will most always make the wrong decision if we base everything we do around how we feel. Feelings will come and go daily. Feelings may be up and down for a whole season, but God’s Holy Spirit and His Word remain constant. For God’s Love is never failing and His Nature changes not.

Hebrew 13:8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. KJV

Just like some mornings when it is my day to run, I don’t have any good feelings to motivate me to run and my body is in agreement with my emotions. On those mornings I need to push pass the flesh. Since my mind is renew by the Word of God I must remind my body and mind that God’s Temple will be glorified today. God’s Word speaking to my heart and my spirit listening to His Voice sets my will. My emotions may not agree at first but having the knowledge of following my heart at the expense of my emotions puts me in the best position to make the right choice. Once I have decided to run, I run, and you know what after I have run my emotions are singing and happy because I did. I have learned that negative emotions are sometimes just a voice of your flesh wrapped around negative thinking. Once you have put in the work first your conscience is clear and your body is strong and your emotions are inline with God’s Will for your life. Emotions of good are from God, whereas negative emotions are from the flesh (or an evil influence). In most cases your emotions are either a reflection of your thoughts or the expression of your feelings. Therefore keep your mind renewed (thinking on God’s Goodness, His Promises) and your feelings inline with God’s Presence and you will train yourself to be happy and glad in the Name of Jesus. You may wonder, “How do I not let my body rule my heart?” How do I not let my mind and emotions rule my thought life? Please tell me, “What must I do so they don’t rule me?” I’m glad you asked that question. There is one voice that can silence the others. There is One Presence that can overcome all others. There is One Way that puts to shame all others. There is One Life that should totally overcome your life. Jesus said, “I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, NO MAN COMES TO THE FATHER BUT BY ME”. Now we will move on to the next voice we are to know and listen to. This Heavenly Voice should be echoed by your earthly voice. He is to be a daily part of your voice and He is the Voice of Heaven, yes the voice of Three (The Father, The Son and the Holy Ghost, The God Head) wrapped into One.

The final and most important voice of all is the voice of the Good Shepherd. This inner voice that overcomes all outer voices put together.

John 10:1-5
1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. KJV

and verse 27 of that same chapter

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: KJV

This is the soft and tender voice you should know through intimacy with God. He is also the strong and confident voice that quiets all the storms in your life. This is a verse of scripture that needs to be meditated on consistently. When you spend time in His Word on a daily basis you are feeding your inner man, your spirit man. Just like our bodies gets nourishment from natural food. Our spirit man needs it’s nourishment from The Bread of Life so our inner man can dominate our outer man according to Matthew 4:4

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. KJV

And John 6:51
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. KJV

When we heartily eat of God’s rich Word we are in a better position to be led of God’s Holy Spirit. Why, because God’s Voice is an exact reprojection of His Word. God spoke His Word unto us and we therefore speak (reproject) this same word unto others, including those situations and beings that come against us.

1 John 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. KJV

His Word is our Way of deliverance, safety and total victory by faith. We are to be led by the Spirit of God because we already know where we are going according to God’s Holy Written Word.

Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. KJV

By building up your inner man, you will be able to discern the many other voices in this world and clearly be able to discern the distinguishable voice of your Good Shepherd. Most children in the world today who live with their earthly father know his voice, why should we be any different with our Heavenly Father. When you know God’s Voice by your knowledge of His Word unto obedience this combination will make you successful in this life. Remember Joshua 1:8

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. KJV

Remember to always put Him first in your life by spending time in His Word and in His Presence (by singing and praising God daily). Acknowledge the Lord in all your ways and He shall direct your path. So this is just a reminder to not listen to the many voices of strangers, for many are the strangers of this world. Remember according to John 10:5, You know not the voice of strangers.

You, my dear child of God, have only One Father, and One Lord and One Savoir in your life. Jesus, the Living Word of God, is the only voice you need to know for this day and this hour. Be sure you listen to your Good Shepherd’s voice because He is your personal salvation, while the Holy Spirit is your personal trainer and teacher. Jesus spoke and then He sent the Holy Spirit to help us listen and understand God’s Word. When we hear the Voice of Jesus we hear the Voice of God.

Matthew 17:5
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. KJV

Now after reading this article I will ask the question again, “Who has your attention?” Your answer better be,

"Jesus Christ, beside Him there is none other!"

Confession of Faith: I know the voice of The Good Shepherd and the voice of a stranger I shall not (will not) follow. I am led by the Spirit of God. I don’t allow my body to dictate what I do and don’t do. I am a new creature in Christ Jesus old things are passed away behold all things have become new. I am renewed in Christ Jesus, so my past is behind me and from this day forward I follow and adhere to the Voice of The Good Shepherd in Jesus Name! Amen!

In His Love, Eric & Angela Foster

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