Sensitivity

As I sit before the Lord this morning, on January 1st, 2023, I simply heard the Lord say that so many have lost their sensitivity to hearing Him speak.

Many of us have experienced callouses on our hands or feet. Those callous get there from repetitive actions that take a sensitive area and make it tougher, to withstand the continued harshness. Some of us have had surgeries or accidents that have left a place in our bodies numb, due to the severing of the nerves in that particular area.

If that can happen to our bodies, how much more our souls.

Repetitive, harsh words or actions to our soul can make us spiritually calloused and insensitive to the voice of Holy Spirit. Repetitive actions that make us feel like a good little Christian, but or empty and void of His Presence, (yet masquerading as good, spiritual, and holy, when done completely in our flesh and with a prideful heart of doing what we want to do because we know that is what God would want us to do), can leave us too busy to be sensitive to His voice.

Have mercy on us, Lord.

Yet in this world, to be sensitive can insinuate weakness. "She's way too sensitive!" has possibly even been said to you or someone you know. It is as if to be sensitive is a horribly bad trait. The world says that we are supposed to be rough and tough and have the thickest skin, to weather whatever anyone says or does to us. Here's the problem with that:

A "toughen up" mentality deceptively enables you to evolve into a harsh and hurtful, even abusive, person, encroaching and intruding on the sensitivity of another.

Callous people contuse people and cancel God's voice.

Ephesians 4:19 says, "Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed."

If you have been deeply wounded from people who you thought were safe; if you have been deeply scarred by church people; if you have been deceived into the injuring belief system of accepting Jesus, but living life on your own terms and for yourself; it would not be surprising to me that your soul has become calloused.

Years of church world, years of doing church, and years of watching people say one thing and yet do another can leave us spiritually calloused; questioning the validity of it all.

Yet, it takes a deep, strong sensitivity to hear the still small voice of God guiding you from the inside out. It requires time in His presence, worshipping Him, being still and quiet before Him.

Proverbs 4:20-23 says, "My son, be attentive (sensitive) to My words; incline your ear to My sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."

Sensitive people sympathize with people and submit to God's voice.

Have we as God's people lost our sensitivity to His Spirit speaking to us? I would encourage us all to talk with the Lord about that, and to invite Him to slough off the spiritual callouses of past wounds, the religious spirit, and busyness, and make us sensitive to His Spirit, to His voice, again.

Father God, may we, Your people, become more and more sensitive to Your Spirit this year. We repent of our own selfishness that drowned out Your voice. We forgive those who wounded us so deeply that made us callous towards the world and inadvertently made us callous towards You. Forgive us. Slough off the callouses and in Your mercy, give us the grace to be sensitive to Your voice once again. In Jesus' name, amen.

You are so loved,

Jena