But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Heb 5:14 KJV
Afraid to trust my heart – I was raised on a ranch and educated as an engineer. A practical, logical, get-it-done attitude defined my natural approach to life. I placed my theology on top of that foundation and tried to resist reasoning’s of my mind and carnal desires of my heart. I viewed myself (and others) as basically depraved and needing redemption. Hearing God and receiving guidance from the Holy Spirit through my spirit was my top priority. I re-positioned my thought process to be the best, spiritual servant for the Lord that I could be. I did learn to hear God’s voice and function prophetically, but for much of my Christian life I resisted who I really was. My theology was splitting my personality between who I was and who I tried to make myself.
The Transition – I fixed my theological foundation and wrote about it in Releasing Kings and Desire to Destiny. Instead of viewing my self as a corrupt servant always needing to be cautious, I realized I was created in God’s image and He is writing His laws in my heart (Heb 8:10, 10:16). God wanted me as a friend, not just a servant (Jn 15:15). I realized he valued my initiative and that he reserved a portion of the Kingdom for me to conquer. I’m a “whole” person now! I shifted from having a Godly spirit clothed in a carnal, earthen vessel to being “one” person created in God’s image who can function in the spiritual and the natural. Now, after a little discernment, I’m willing to trust my instincts and get back to who I am… practical, logical, get-it-done… and prophetic.
After thousands of prayerful decisions (both failures and successes), I’m confident in hearing God prophetically, confident in my Biblical foundation, and confident in Godly / practical wisdom. That doesn’t make me a guru – it just means that I can do what God has called me to do. It’s a good feeling.
Intuition – God expects us to hear His voice for the big things (most of us agree). Below that, there are thousands of everyday decisions we all face. God doesn’t specifically guide us on every one of them (Although he can intervene and we keep our ear tuned toward Him). God expects us to make many decisions ourselves. He expects us to use wisdom (experience, logic, counsel, heart’s desire, etc.) to know what to do.
Note: Some of us would worry about deceiving ourselves at this point. It’s not that hard to discern a good decision from a bad one – time usually tells. I’m actually more concerned about people that believe God does guide every decision. Those are the folks that start hearing voices and inventing leadings.
Here’s the fun part – Once you get some experience (“full age”), you can tell when you and God are on the same page. You can get comfortable taking initiatives in the area of your calling and seeing them turn out right. As your experience grows and your heart’s desires are bearing fruit, its time to trust your intuition. “Senses” in Heb 5:14 is not the word for our spirit. I wouldn’t assume it’s a spiritual gift either. It’s part of your natural ability – the way God designed you.
Getting in a zone – In sports, athletes spend years disciplining themselves on fundamentals. Then they learn the plays and how to function as a team. Next they learn how to win some of their games and realize the hard work finally paid off. I’m talking about a level above that. I played basketball with the same friends in school for about 10 years. We never lost a home game in my last two years of school. Even though we were good, we experienced games where one or two players would get hot and play far above their averages. They would get in a zone where they didn’t have to think; they responded instinctively and immediately made good decisions. They were like David’s mighty men doing exploits. I got to experience that feeling. Initially I rejected it as the “applause of men,” but now I cherish it as an example that God gave me… a hint about the future.
Business and life are exactly the same. Once you are trained in the fundamentals and experience some success, you can elevate your game. However, it’s even a higher level of being in the zone compared to sports. Now we sense that we are walking with God and building the Kingdom. Life comes at us fast and we are able to respond quickly and correctly. We start to trust our intuition and we multiply more that we ever dreamed possible. Divine appointments flow our way and doors open. We recognize trouble quickly and stay away from it. If you’ve ever been “in the zone,” you know you want to get back there. In fact, you’ll find “the zone” is where God wants you to function and that it is possible to “live there” instead of just visit. It’s fun – a great way to live productively and build the Kingdom.
...work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Phil 2:12-13 NASU
Revival – When I say this transition is “fun” or “feels good,” I’m greatly understating the experience. When we articulate this process in conference settings or coaching we also get to see the Holy Spirit impart it live. Watching eyes open and hearts come alive can only be described on the level of revival. What God is doing with Kings in the marketplace right now it more exciting and contagious than words can communicate.
