Whispers, Fruit, & Understanding
Something I’ve been pondering this week in particular is the reality that we are shaped by what we consume; specifically the voices we listen to.
Our ears are always “on.” Whether it’s active or passive listening, we continue to intake information through the voices in our lives. Maybe it’s the podcast we turn on during a walk, the pastor who speaks into our lives every week, the boss that we interact with on the daily, or the limitless content being streamed on our little black mirrors.
That’s a lot of noise. And within that, so much of a grey scale when it comes to the truth. You and I both know how popular the terms “my truth” or “your truth” have become in this day and age.
I could list any current event and without much digging at all, it wouldn’t take long to see the clear division on said topic. There are two different camps, two sides, two loud voices (sometimes more than two), each wanting to be right. Sometimes it goes as far as thinking the other side is crazy. Brainwashed, blind, bigoted… these are just a few of the terms I see tossed around on social media.
2021 started with a rumble. In just two weeks we’ve experienced a domestic terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol, a president’s second impeachment, and a new president’s inauguration about to take place. Oh, and let’s not forget.. the pandemic is officially the worst it’s ever been, with record deaths and illnesses all over the globe.
I’m not sure about you, but it’s felt like a year of consuming noise that’s been so polarized and divisive. Data gets twisted one way, actions are justified without accountability, and the name of Jesus gets thrown in as the cherry on top.
I believe in naming the emotions we experience and some of those for me have included: confusion, shock, surprise, disgust, and empathy kicked into overdrive (that might sound good, but it can be very overwhelming).
All those emotions were triggered by a root though. At the core, I longed for understanding. In a sea of questions like, “How could she believe this?” or “How could he preach this message to his church?” I muted the noise long enough to hear what Jesus has to say about understanding and truth-seeking. This became a very sacred moment with God a few days ago and I felt like I needed to write about what became abundantly clear to me. I hope it encourages you:
1. In order to understand, you have to pause to hear Him — you have to find Him in all the noise.
In 1 Kings 19, the prophet Elijah encounters the Lord. He says, “Go out and stand on the mountain for the Lord is about to pass by” (v. 11). God is never distant, in fact He longs to encounter us. He even gives Elijah a forewarning that He’s about to pass by. I’m struck by how much of myself I see in Elijah. How often do we miss Him because the other noise is louder?
“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave” (v. 12–13).
Dear reader, God is found in the gentle whisper. That’s how He speaks to His children. He’s closer than your breath. He’s always near. But in a world of fire, wind, chaos, or all the other noise… He’s a still, small yet powerful voice.
We have to lean in to listen & listen well. We need ears attuned to Him.
2. The closer you listen, the more understanding is given.
Jesus says, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given — and you will receive even more.
To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” (Mark 4:24–25)
A popular translation similarly says, “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you — and even more.”
God will know how much to give you by how much you understand now.
This is where I’ve been personally camping out all week. How close am I listening to the One source of absolute truth and what He has to say? My prayers have consisted of raw conversations with God… “I just want to understand! This world is on fire. Why are we like this?” And God’s like, “Pay attention. The closer you listen — the more understanding is given.”
“Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.Search for them as you would for silver;
seek them like hidden treasures.
For the Lord grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. (Pro. 2:3–7)
3. On this journey of understanding, the fruit that’s being produced is a great litmus test.
God was extremely intentional with His design for humanity. In our sinful nature, we muddied those waters. However, through His son, Jesus Christ, God offered humanity a second chance at living a truly abundant and fruitful life. We see how during His time on Earth, Jesus was so clear and so loving in how we are called to live. The wisdom He offers us is to look at the fruit being produced is a person’s life. That’s how we can know if they’re truly abiding in Him. He reminded us that we will even know the wolves in sheep’s clothing by their fruit.
I’m so convicted to take a closer look at the fruit in my own life.
Is fruit of the flesh being borne?
selfish ambition, dissension, quarreling, idolatry, lust, anger, hated, discord.
Eugene Peterson’s translation in the Message is gold:
“It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.” (Gal. 5:19–21)
Or fruit from the Spirit:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control
“But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard — things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.” (Gal. 5:22–23).
I have no other answers right now. I’m just doing my best to drown out all the other noise, idols, and chaos in efforts to sit with Him and listen. I want to listen so close that in my shock, awe, confusion — I will be deposited with His understanding, wisdom, and peace.
My exhortation to you reading:
He is the source of all truth, wisdom, and understanding. That is absolute, black and white, crystal clear. May we be quick to listen and slow to speak. May our faith grow so that in troubled times like this we remember that He is near to the broken hearted and desires to deposit that wisdom and understanding to us.
May we be a beacon of light to others around us through producing fruit of the Spirit in the ways we live, love, think, and respond.
