THE INNER VOICE

Acts 8:29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

2015 was the best year for me, according to people who knew me personally. I had become a celebrated untrained teacher in our village and people seemed to like the idea. I was teaching English and Mathematics at the age of 21! I was very good (still I’m) in English actually my subject topped during that year’s KCPE. Pupils started liking me and there was a lot of hope for class eight come 2016.

“Sam. These pupils seem to like you so much. Will you teach class eight both English and Maths next year?” The senior teacher one day told me in her office. I said yes, a promise I never fulfilled.

If someone would slit my mind open and read the contents, they would get the surprise of their lives. 2015, according to me, was my worst year ever. I was in a self-identity crisis. Every day I wake up with an inner voice pushing me to leave home, go somewhere else, and do something different.

“But I’m getting some money” I would convince that inner voice.

“No. That money will never take you anywhere.” It was a daily struggle between me and my inner voice. That trend continued until I yielded. And at the start of October, a very fine Friday, I excused myself from school and traveled to Nairobi. I aimed to look for a good accounting college to enroll in and pursue a career in accounting. KCA University stood out very well thanks to Google. That very day I blindly secured an admission slot with the little amount of money I had carried and returned home. That little leap was the changing point.

I would later render my resignation to the headmaster one day before the schools closed for the December holidays. Teachers could not believe that I wouldn’t come back. The headmaster vowed to double my salary but nothing would stop me from pursuing my inner voice. The village was good with nice people and friends but I was uncomfortable.

January 2016 saw me take very huge risky leaps of Faith that people even became confused. Looking back in time, there are wonderful opportunities and people I would have missed if I didn’t follow my instincts. To cut the long story short, if there is something I trust more than anything else, is my inner voice. Sometimes my decisions are complicated and messy but, at the end of the day, it all makes sense.

I think now I know how Abraham felt when God told him to leave his country and go to an unknown land. But you know God used to appear in person those days that you wouldn’t have a single doubt about the instructions. In the new testament, Jesus tells his disciples,

John 14:16
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever–

Sometimes that inner voice talking to you is the Holy Spirit. There is, however, a natural intuition that either nudges us in a general direction or alerts us when there’s danger. In threatening situations, intuition provokes the biological fight-or-flight response we all learned about in school. A non-Christian is wise to follow his or her intuition because it’s based in fact—your physical senses are registering that something’s not normal, telling you there may be a threat to your safety. The Holy Spirit is different than our intuition because He works above and beyond our physical senses. He attunes believers to God’s answer and evokes an extraordinary peace that enables us to do what God wants, even if we’re scared. Human intuition and the Holy Spirit are more similar than we might realize. Or, at least more connected.

The best way we can discern when we are hearing from the Holy Spirit—including when He speaks through our intuition—is the reality of peace in our hearts. Running on our instinct is often driven by fear and typically produces fear, worry, and doubt. When we are aligned with God’s will, He gives us peace and happiness.

When you can tune in to that inner voice, you can make better and faster decisions, solve problems with greater ease, and live a more fulfilled and happy life.