You’re Not Too Busy to Hear God – Just Too Grown Up!

What is the greatest obstacle to hearing God’s voice in your life?

Key points:

People often assume it’s something external — a lack of education, wealth, or spiritual experience.

Some even think it depends on having perfect theology or an unshakable belief in God’s existence. Yet Jesus suggested something quite different.

Our greatest obstacle to hearing God is not our circumstances, but ourselves — and more specifically, the condition of our hearts.

Our greatest obstacle to hearing God is not our circumstances, but the condition of our hearts.

Jesus said, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3) He also declared that the wisdom of heaven is “hidden from the wise and learned, but revealed to little children.” (Luke 10:21)

So what does it mean to become like children?

Pride and the closed heart

We get insight when we look at the context of Jesus’ words. When Jesus spoke about childlike faith, he was responding to a question from His disciples: “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1)

In that moment, the disciples were focused on status and recognition. But Jesus shifted their attention to the heart posture that truly matters — humility.

Pride, not ignorance, is what closes our ears to God.

Pride, not ignorance, is what closes our ears to God. When we think we already know everything, when we’ve “heard it all before,” the eyes of our hearts close, and we lose our ability to see what the Spirit is doing. As the saying goes, we can’t learn what we think we already know.

This temptation grows stronger with success. The more power, influence, wealth, or recognition we gain, the more we risk placing our trust in those things rather than in God. It’s not success itself that silences His voice — it’s our attachment to it. When we rely on our own strength, we stop depending on God’s guidance, and our spiritual sight and hearing grow dim.

The power of a childlike heart

The antidote to pride is a childlike heart.

Children are open, humble, and curious. They live with a sense of wonder and are never afraid to ask questions. They’re always learning, always growing. They remind us that hearing God isn’t about age, experience, or social status — it’s about maintaining an open, teachable spirit.

Listen to ‘Everyday God Conversations’ with Tania Harris wherever you get your podcasts.

A childlike heart says, “What can I learn today?” and “God, what are You showing me?” It approaches life with trust, curiosity, and dependence on the Father’s voice.

If you find it hard to hear God’s voice, perhaps the invitation is not to try harder, but to soften your heart. Let go of pride, success, and the need to be “the greatest.” Return to that posture of childlikeness. Let’s learn from our children. May we become like them, wide-eyed and open, hungry and humble so that the Spirit can flow!

Listen to ‘Everyday God Conversations’ with Tania Harris wherever you get your podcasts.

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