If you say that out loud, in many circles it’s a conversation stopper: “If you claim God spoke to you, now I can’t say anything.” Like little kids announcing to their siblings: “Dad said!”, it can be perceived as a control move.

If you don’t say it out loud, people are left with half the story, like: “Wow, that thing you came up with worked so well. We should try it.” Which completely misses the reason that it worked: the King of Kings commanded it.

We know that discipleship is about hearing and obeying. But if we don’t admit that we’re hearing, how can we make disciples? If they just see our obedience, then all they can do is imitate what we do. They won’t be able to hear for themselves, and they end up in a works-righteousness paradigm, following rules because they can’t hear the voice of God.

Everyone I know who’s producing great fruit is being directed by the voice of the Holy Spirit. Some of them talk about it and make people uncomfortable. Some of them don’t talk about it and leave people unable to become like them, because how could anyone be that amazing!?

“God told me to…” is supposed to be a conversation starter. It means, “this wasn’t my idea and I have no personal stake in it, so I’m open to what you’re sensing”. It implies, “and what did God tell you?” so we can work together. It says, “this is all I heard, so let’s discern together what it means”.

I like to joke that if a revival hits an area and the chairs are blue, everyone will order blue chairs. We’re all copying each other’s behaviour, but the only behaviours that bear fruit are the ones that are in response to what God said.

Disciples hear and obey the voice of God. To make disciples, our primary job is to teach them that. The Bible is full of stories of people living like this.