Who we listen to helps develop who we become. Those we associate with, we take on some of their habits, characteristics and attributes. Have you ever thought: who do you allow to influence you? We tend to listen to others and take their advice yet too many Christians fail to listen to the Holy Spirit. How mature you are spiritually depends on how important you have made the Holy Spirit in your life.

We may spend time Sunday listening to sermons yet fail to take even minutes to seek the advice of the Holy Spirit. When it comes to making decision, they are often made as the world makes decisions and not as a spiritual person should be making them.

So what can we expect from the Holy Spirit if we begin to listen? God put us on this earth for a reason and a purpose. We will never know for sure what that purpose is unless we hear it from God’s Spirit. We are created with a need to become achievers as we are made in the image of God. To feel that you have been successful you must realize what your purpose is and accomplish what God has planned for you. Have you asked God for your purpose and have you patiently waited for an answer? Realize that God will never ask us to do anything He will not provide the power or ability to help us accomplish any task.

We are told to have a personal relationship with Christ. That can only be done through the Holy Spirit. We need to make contact daily by loving, worshipping and asking how we might please Christ and serve others. We must be careful to develop such a close relationship with Christ that we can tell when we are listening to the wrong voices. Never underestimate the power of Satan to try and influence anyone of us.

We must at all times be aware that the Holy Spirit is continuing to provide direction in our life. We must remember what happened at Pentecost. It changed His disciples, giving them power, purpose and direction. From that point on they were completely different people. Have we had a similar experience and if not have we wondered why? We should expect a similar change in our lives. Matthew 18:4 – “Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” They can gain courage, develope servant hearts and live humble lives. Pride can be the greatest hindrance to Christians in having a spiritual experience.

It is not uncommon for men and women who have been Christians for some years to find themselves frozen in place. They have made a solid beginning…and stopped! They are not running, walking or even crawling. They are the embodiment of the Christians Paul criticized in his letter to the Corinthians. I Corinthians 3:1 – “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ.”

Hopefully, we can see the difference between those having a poor relationship with Christ and those who have given their lives to Christ and serve Him daily and those who have little contact with Jesus. Whose life do you think is receiving the greatest personal satisfaction? Every time I think I am doing fairly well spiritually God always gives me an example of how much more is available. I know that God inspires me to write but He doesn’t talk to me. If we only knew what God has available for each one of us and we were able to take advantage of it, what a difference it would make in our life. What would you be willing to do for wealth, power or fame? Do you not think God can give you more than the world could ever give you? It’s possible your greatest reward will come in heaven. Look what Philippians 2:8 – 11 God did for Christ: “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
But I must realize we are living in a world filled with greed, immorality and evil. The results of how the world lives can affect and to some degree influence every one of us. Isaiah 57:20 – 21 – “But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’” If you do not believe wicked men and women have been in control for a long time, you are naïve. Is there any way, in today’s world, we could get rid of the wicked and select leaders in business and politics and get those who would listen to the Holy Spirit and become obedient to God? My contention is that we, as a nation, have fallen too far spiritually to make that happen.

If we realize what we are being taught and government policies being imposed, it certainly is not what God is telling us as Christians. Scripture tells us these many leaders have little peace, they cannot rest and they are leading us. Wouldn’t you rather have someone who is listening to God, as a servant, obedient to His Word and promoting love and kindness leading us?

For those wondering what we believe God’s purpose for life is; I like what Rick Warren wrote in his book The Purpose Driven Life:
• To worship God and develop a relationship with Him.
• To love and fellowship with other believers in our community.
• To know Christ and become like Him.
• To serve God through the church.
• To become a minister for Christ and share the gospel.
If God has a further purpose for you, I believe you will only know by listening to God through His Spirit that is within you. You may be one of those special people that God has a specific purpose, in addition to the above. Many Christians have been given specific callings and the talents to carry them out. God will never ask us to do anything He has not prepared us to do.