Voices

Jesus said: «My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

As of this writing, my country is hearing a lot of voices. Why? It's election time.

Different people of different personalities would like to lead the nation. People with different interest and different backgrounds would like to be the shepherd of the country. They declare they are the voice of God. The proclaim they are the voice of the masses. They claim they are the voice of the poorest of the poor. They campaign they are the voice of the largely populated working class. They present themselves as the voice of the minority which likewise of the majority. The candidates advertise themselves as the voice of a new hope for a new nation. These people inform the people that they are the voice of legacy and democracy. Because we hear a lot of voices, we get confused. We have to sit down and analyze whose voice will get our vote. We have to study whose voice will we follow.

As of this writing, our hearts hear a lot of voices. Why? It's like that all the time.

Voices which would like to lead our lives. Voices which would like to tend us along a certain path. Voices which would like to shepherd us to a specific direction. Voices which we hear all around us. Media. Internet. Church. Career. Family. Community. Friends. Spouse. Boss. Child. TV preacher. Book author. Economic instability. Wars and terrorism. Calamities around the globe. Fears. Worries. Health issues. We are drowned by these voices. We can get confused. We are being influenced by these voices. At some point, we have to choose which voice will lead us in the way we live our lives. We have to make a decision which voice will shepherd us closer to God. We have to vote a voice which will enable us to follow Jesus, the true Shepherd.

Let me suggest some tests for us to know if we are following the Shepherd's voice:

• We follow His voice if we follow Him. Easier said than done. Yet we know His voice prevails in our hearts if we are living according to His ways.
• We hear His voice if it glorifies God. Our lives should result to magnifying the Shepherd rather than the sheep. It makes known the Shepherd not the sheep.
• We follow his voice if we get closer to the Shepherd. As the Shepherd leads the flock, He knows the sheep. As the journey continues, the sheep should know the Shepherd.
• We stick with His voice if we stick with the flock. No sheep will wander away from the flock if one hears the voice of the Shepherd. Our Shepherd searches for His lost sheep to bring them back to the flock just in case they follow other voices.

Lots of voices, we hear. Hopefully, His voice will get our vote. Always.