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Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. This is the sound you never want to hear on your door when you have to be up early for a flight. Last Saturday, I had the pleasant experience of hearing these delightful thuds on my hotel room door. I hastily opened the door to find Pastor Paul letting me know the Rez team was already en route to the airport and that the shuttle would be back to collect me in 15 minutes. I quickly changed into my clothes for the day, threw the last few items into my bag, and rushed down to the hotel lobby. A mixture of dread and confusion washed over me as I stood waiting for the shuttle. What had happened? I am a compulsive alarm setter when traveling, and like every other early morning wake-up, I had set seven alarms on my phone in 15-minute increments leading up to the time I needed to be awake.

So if I had set the alarms, what went wrong? To my chagrin, I found that while my alarms had all been set, my phone’s volume had been muted. I was left with seven alarms going off with absolutely no sound. The alarms became useless because they were on mute.

I want us to consider a dangerous spiritual reality we can all fall prey to: we mute the spiritual alarms God has placed in our lives to alert us when we are not doing well spiritually. We need these alarms because our sin is deceptive, and we are easily self-deceived. So, what do these alarms look like?

Don’t mute the Holy Spirit.

At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to reside in every believer. This is the sealing of our salvation and the means of our sanctification. The Holy Spirit works to uproot sin from our lives through conviction, molding us into the image of Christ. However, we can fight against this conviction in the flesh. Paul warns us in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 about quenching the Spirit in our lives. Consistently ignoring sin and indulging our flesh can “mute” the Spirit’s conviction through the searing effect of continued sin.

Don’t mute your pastors.

Your pastor is not the Holy Spirit, but God has placed him in your life to provide spiritual oversight and accountability as a member of the local church. Your pastor should not control every aspect of your life, but he is another warning alarm God has placed in your path to help expose unhealthy or unwise spiritual trajectories. Your pastor is there to equip you, build you up, and at times, admonish you. Don’t “mute” the shepherding care they express to you.

Don’t mute your parents or your spouse.

Young people, God has given you the responsibility to obey your parents, and He has given your parents the responsibility to steward and instruct you. Don’t arrogantly reject the admonishment and concerns of your parents. Instead, appreciate their biblical love and care for you as followers of Christ.

Likewise, spouses, be humble enough to heed the concerns of your spouse. This is not about petty nitpicking but genuine spiritual care. Our spouses have the benefit of seeing both our strengths and our struggles. Allow them to fulfill their role as a brother or sister in Christ by receiving their exhortations and concerns.

These are just three of many layers of alarms and spiritual warning systems God has placed in our lives. Listen to them. Appreciate them. Our flesh is deceptive, and we can often be blind to our biggest struggles. Don’t allow your pride to “mute” all of the warnings to change, but embrace the paths of spiritual growth they provide.

Take 5–10 minutes today to ask:

  • Am I ignoring the Spirit’s conviction in any area of my life?
  • Have I “muted” the voices of those God has placed to guide me?
  • Who do I need to thank or seek counsel from this week?

Ask God for the humility to hear His alarms and the courage to respond. It may be the very thing that keeps you from a spiritual crisis tomorrow.

Serving Together,

Pastor Derek