Welcome to “Athlos” a weekly blog which examines pillars of personal excellence and regularly brings together the worlds of Christian spirituality and sport.
Quiet Voices
“…but the Lord was not in the wind…the Lord was not in the earthquake…the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence”-1 Kings 19:11-12
Loud Voices
This is the final instalment of our mini-series on life-changing listening. Thank you for your attentiveness to these seven contributions which I hope have been a source of encouragement to you and to anyone you may have shared them with.
Life often presents us with many choices. Whether we are dealing with food, clothing, job changes, romantic relationships or educational opportunities, we have to select. It is at those times that we must focus, as best as possible, on a single voice.
Some voices are loud and hard to miss. Others are soft and tender, a gentle whisper that can scarcely be heard. The thing with the more mellow voice is that you need silence to really hear it. We may have also heard the Latin expression “vox populi, vox dei” meaning that the voice of the people is the voice of God. How do we know which voice to listen to?
Perhaps the solution is found more in our interior posture and less in the speaker’s mode of communication. Take for example, two recent controversies involving different degrees of sexual invasions in sport. Manchester United player, Mason Greenwood, is now forced to leave the club based on publicly known aggression against a woman. Last Sunday, after Spain’s historic win in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the President of the Spanish Football Federation kissed a player on her lips during the trophy presentation. Both situations have brought widespread condemnation regarding how men violated women.
Yet, there are so many opinions about what consequences should follow. Should the Federation President resign? Was his apology enough? Should Greenwood have been given another chance to play for his club? Will he ever find another team that will accept him? Will the answers be found in the media “earthquake” or in the inner silence of the two perpetrators’ individual souls? So many options, so many voices.
You will soon have choices to make, some more difficult than others. Determine the best mode of listening that will help you arrive at the best decisions.
The Divine Voice
My simple prayer is that we all can intentionally pursue the stillness required to hear and respond to the Divine Voice.
If you were inspired by this blog, please consider sharing it with one other person today. To learn more about these and other related themes that promote the cultivation of an integrated inner self, read UNBEATABLE! which is available on Amazon in print and as an e-book.
This Post Has 6 Comments
Very insightful comments; truly appreciated.
Thank you, Colin.
Lately, I have been attuning my ears to hearing the voice of God and most of the times I’ve had to wait and keep listening.
When He eventually speaks I know without a doubt that it is the voice of God that I’m hearing.
The most difficult part is the waiting. During that time, there is so much noise not just externally but also from within.
What would others think, how would it look. Who would be affected by this or that response or no response at all for that matter.
It takes serious self control to block out the noise and keep waiting in silence.
One thing I have learnt though, it is always worth the wait. So I keep listening and when He speaks, it is very clear even when He whispers. Then will I act accordingly.
May we continue to listen out for the voice of God.
Thank you for this beautiful contribution, Ronke. I embrace your admonition and encouragement.
I feel like God himself speaks with a loud voice and other times he speaks with a whisper, depending on how much he wants to drive home a particular point. The important thing shared is to be ready to listen and recognize the spirit of God when it matters.
Fully agree, Michelle. Thank you.