Susan Case Bonner's Blog

God speaks to us all the time. It’s true.

Do you believe that? Or more importantly, are you experiencing it? And if the answer is “No, I don’t think so,” then maybe all you need is a little tune-up to your way of thinking.

Let’s start with knowing the difference between good and evil. How do we hear God when we are at odds with others over what is right? For most of us, our upbringing plays a big part.

I once witnessed a child being heartily tongue-lashed by his mother and aunts for tattling on his cousins. He was feverishly trying to tell his mom about dangerous activity that was taking place in the other room. That dangerous behavior, though, did not seem to matter, because the greatest evil in this family was tattling.

This real life example is one of the reasons gangs/mafias are so hard to break up, because evil is defined by the members in power who are seeking to protect their own way of thinking.

Enter the Ten Commandments – God’s timeless list of family values.

God states eight of the commands in a negative way by defining the opposite of good (Thou shall not…), and the other two he states in the positive. Nevertheless, all are personally stated by God to underscore what good is from his point of view and as a result the behavior he expects from his children.

Using this as our guide, we see that it is not tattling that is evil, but rather telling lies about others: “Thou shall not bear false witness.” In the real life story I shared, the young boy had a tendency to solve his problems with peers by running to his mother (which is an entirely different issue), but this particular time, he instinctively saw evil and desperately tried to tell someone who could help. What a misjudgment on his mother’s part!

Although God’s voice was there, his mother allowed family precepts to supersede those of her Heavenly Father. She had not allowed God’s loving personal words and instruction to her in the Ten Commandments to transform her natural way of thinking.

So if you want to experience hearing God’s voice more, start where he starts with listening to his Word. Consider reading through the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 this week and praying through one or two a day. While you are at it, memorize them with your children, so that God’s Spirit is unleashed to instruct both you and them in a moment of need according to your Heavenly Father’s way of thinking.

Remember, God’s character and way of thinking are always good and he freely shares those thoughts and character traits with all who seek him.

Enjoy God forever,

Susan Case Bonner