Compelling Reasons to Trust Your Inner Voice

I remember the first time it happened. I was in first grade, about to turn in my worksheet, when the girl who sat next to me stopped me. She insisted that I had the wrong answer on one of the problems.

So, I changed my answer.

And from that moment on, anytime in life that someone else spoke with confidence or conviction, I took them at their word.  I gave all of those people, with their strong opinions, firm beliefs, and well-intended advice authority over me; over my own opinions and beliefs and desires.

I cowered. 

I doubted myself. 

I gave in.

I kept quiet. 

I changed my answer. 

And, over time, I completely lost confidence in my voice. All I could hear  when anyone spoke was they were right, and I was wrong.

Changing my answer all of those years ago was the beginning to a destructive end. Oh, the stories I could share. But, for now, we’ll stick to this one lesson on learning to trust your inner voice.

Compelling Reasons to Trust Your Inner Voice

What is Your Inner Voice?

For me, it’s a still, small voice that nudges my soul. I’ve also experienced it as a conviction or knowing. Other times it’s a gut instinct.

Some people call it inner wisdom or intuition. I call it the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t really matter what you call it. The point is you have a God-given inner voice and you can trust it.

How to Listen to the Inner Voice of God

One time I kept hearing that still, small voice saying “Don’t do it” as I was about to cosign a loan. I ignored it.

The loan defaulted and took several years to pay off which also damaged my credit. Looking back, I recognize that voice as God guiding me. Warning me really.

This was an expensive lesson in learning to listen to my inner voice.

Listening requires an inner stillness and peace. In this situation, my soul was anything but still. I was too busy worrying about upsetting the person I was cosigning for, especially since it was a boyfriend. (There’s nothing like being desperate for love and searching for significance to cloud our judgment. This is why spiritual growth is so important.)

You Have the Answer

I had the correct answer on my paper…before I changed it. I can remember Miss Hardy, seeing what had happened addressed the class, suggesting that the greater mistake is to go with someone else’s answer.

I realize now she was telling me I have my own voice. There’s relief in knowing I had the right answers all along; that I can trust my inner voice.

You have a God-given voice. Trust it.

Why It’s Important to Trust and Listen

As I alluded to earlier, the greatest reward of trusting your inner voice is personal and spiritual growth.

It took years of learning this lesson on repeat to reach a place where I could follow the prompting of my inner voice and use it to make changes in my marriage, in the way we parented, and even to put an end to the dysfunctional beliefs and behaviors that had been passed down from generation to generation.

Your inner voice is there to guide you in your relationship with yourself, others and God, lead you to truth, and prompt you to walk in that truth.

That’s pretty compelling.