Written by: Loren (Cagle) Kirkland
 
Jesus answered. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This verse comes from John 14:6. It's a verse I've heard so many times in my life growing up and one that I still need to be reminded of. One of my favorite songs is "The Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns. It's been one of my favorites for such a long time. Every time I listen to it, I feel this peace inside me. It starts out saying "Oh what I would do…to step out of my comfort zone, into the realm of the unknown, where Jesus is, and He's holding out his hand, but the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me, reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed."

So often we hear the voice that isn't Jesus. We hear the voice where we doubt ourselves and the voice that tells us we are going to fail. Whether that be in the sport we play, the classroom, or just in our life, the devil tries to sneak his voice into our lives to tell us that we aren't good enough. He will always try to find ways to make us doubt ourselves and who God created us to be and the purpose He has for us. But the voice we need to listen to and the voice we need to lean on is the voice of truth. The chorus of the song goes on to say, "But the voice of truth tells me a different story, the voice of truth says do not be afraid. And the voice of truth says this is for my glory…I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth." 

Not only does the devil tell us lies, but he also tries to direct us down a path that we shouldn't always go and sometimes even make it seem like it would be the better path or the more fun path. Looking back at my time being a student-athlete, I wish I had slowed down and listened to the voice of truth more. It's easy to get caught up in the busyness of playing your sport, going to class, having a social life, and so much more. I believe the devil tries to distract us with our busyness, and when we get so caught up in life, we often forget to hear the voice that matters the most. I was faced with many choices during that time. Instead of listening and leaning into the voice of truth that will never lie to us or never fail us, I would lean into other voices that didn't direct me down the path I should go.

John 10:27 says," My sheep hear my voice, and I know them." I encourage you to slow down, lean into Jesus, and hear the voice of truth. Hear the voice that calls out to you and directs you down the path He has for you.