“Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.”
1 Chronicles 29:14 (NIV)
I have a trusted auto mechanic, whose shop is walking distance from my home. When I need anything, I can drop my car off and just walk two blocks back to my home. They are honest, friendly and reliable, and because they are so close to home, it’s my first “go to,” for any car problems that I might suspect.
A playlist of music on my phone has been synced to my car speakers for a few years now. Every time I turn on my car, my selected music from my playlist, starts playing through my car radio, as long as my phone is in the car with me.
One day it showed that the songs were playing, but no sound was coming out. I adjusted the volume knobs on my car, but nothing helped. I just could not get the sound to come through. I tried everything except going to the source of that playlist, which was on my phone.
I was so focused on the car and its speakers being the problem, that I finally drove to my nearby auto repair shop. A nice young mechanic was available, and I told him that something was wrong with my car speakers, and asked him to check out why I couldn’t hear my music.
He came and looked, first trying to adjust a few knobs on the car radio, but then he turned to me and asked to see my phone. I gave it to him and he immediately found that the volume button was turned all the way down. I don’t know how that volume button was completely turned down, but after he turned it up, the sound of music came back in my car, and I never felt more stupid.
My phone was the first place I should have looked. It was an embarrassing lesson, reminding me to always go to the source of a problem first. My car radio was not the source of the music, my phone was.
Sometimes a person steps in and reminds us to look to God, who is the source of all that we are. Over the years, we tend to form opinions based on the external influences of social trends, our education, our friends, our family and all the experiences that we’ve had. After a while, we can become conformed to those external influences. They are like the sounds of music playing on the playlist of our lives.
Paul says “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
(Romans 12:2)
God is our source of wholeness for all aspects of who we are, in body, mind, soul and spirit. His voice is always within us. If we turn up the volume at the source, He transforms us by renewing our minds, according to His will, instead of being conformed only by those external influences.
He is the volume button that enables us to hear His truth over all the noise and chatter around us.
I was raised in a Christian faith, but never really understood who Jesus was. Although my mother taught us to pray, I didn’t have enough early understanding of Jesus or walking in faith. I remember the philosophy courses in my first year of college, which caused me to wonder what the purpose of life is. I can still recall asking myself the question
“If there is a God, what does He expect of me?” That was my turning point, where I turned up the volume button at the source, and opened my heart to God’s truth, and He eventually transformed of my spiritual life.
I was only nineteen at the time, and soon after asking that question, I decided to read a book about Bible prophecy. I recited a prayer that was on the last page of the book, which was the first time I ever prayed, acknowledging my need for Jesus and His forgiveness.
I immediately felt a sensation of warm oil pouring over my head.
I was so overwhelmed with the reality of God’s love and forgiveness in that moment, which I now know was the Holy Spirit, and I had a peace that was beyond understanding.
I was radically transformed and renewed from that day on, as I found the volume button, which tuned me in to God, who is the source of who I am and was ever meant to be.
The Lord wants to bring us closer, to speak His truth within our hearts and override all the shallow external influences of our life. He wants to pick us up like a parent holds a small child close, so that we can listen to His voice softly speaking, and find that He is our source of comfort, healing and restoration.
Lord, everything we truly need, comes from you, and you are the source of all we are and were meant to be. We pray that our volume button is turned up as you hold us close, so that we can listen to your voice, above all the chatter in the world around us. Amen