Did you know the voice of the Inner Critic is NOT the same voice as the Holy Spirit?

Today I'd like to focus on the idea that the voice of the Inner Critic is not the voice of the Holy Spirit. This is something we touched on in the first episode of The Working Enneagram Podcast with Austin Fischer and Melinda Kirkpatrick.

A few years back I started to doubt that I possessed the ability to discern the voice of the Lord from the voice of...well, quite literally everyone else. Does the voice in my head belong to God, my Inner Critic, the enemy, my husband, my boss, my friends, or the stranger I met at the coffee shop earlier?

Perhaps you have experienced what I’m talking about.

I’ll never forget the much needed reassurance I received from reading the following verses in the Gospel of John. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

What a relief!

This verse gave me confidence that I can hear from God, and I can recognize his voice.

I also found great comfort that God chose to remind me of the ability to hear from Him and recognize His voice through the metaphor of the Good Shepherd.

Up until recently, I have spent most of my life believing the voice of the Inner Critic belonged to God. I thought God was working to keep me in line and in step with His perfect laws. If it’s not already clear to you, I’m a recovering Perfectionist and Enneagram Type One.

The most devastating aspect of this was misinterpreting the goodness of God. By focusing my attention on what I was doing wrong all of the time, I missed God's abounding grace.

My prayer for you is that you would take time to identify the voices you are listening to. If the voice is harsh and condemning, that’s likely your Inner Critic. If the voice is patient and kind, that’s likely the Good Shepherd.

Check out this month’s podcast episode to hear how Melinda Kirkpatrick was able to discern the voice of God from her Inner Critic. Fair warning, it’s a moving story and you should have some tissues ready.

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