Reconciling Broken Voices and Visions

What happens, what happens,

What happens in the mind,

When voices and visions,

Come in, to be defined?

GOD’S intent for humanity is so often not met, and one of these areas is how our minds work quite involuntarily. We are ashamed to acknowledge the sorts of thoughts – presented as ‘voices’ and ‘visions’ – we are subject to, thinking we are the only ones who are subject to such imaginatively dark fancies.

Of course, notwithstanding schizophrenia and other psychoses, these voices and visions are usually not audible and we take them not so much as reality, though we may discern there is a spiritual aspect to such communication. We take them much the same way as we take a bad dream – these experiences are unsettling, but easily refutable.

Whenever God’s intent to humanity isn’t realised we can call those situations broken. They may or may not be fixed. They may simply need to be recognised as broken. And many horrendous thoughts, manifest in voices and visions, can afflict the believer who now dwells firmly in the spiritual realm. Because of their belief in God they are now subject to quite a discernible spiritual battle. Even those yet-to-believe have their own battles, but they may not recognise the spiritual dimensions, or they will seek help from all sources other than God.

It is important as believers not be too concerned about the ideas the devil might unexpectedly thrust before our consciousness. He hates it that we believe in God, and will do anything to push us ever so subtly off the path of God’s delightful will. When the devil uses the mind, and furnishes it with voices and visions that are uncharacteristic to our regenerated souls, what are we to do?

First, we can see the attack for what it is; we would not mean harm against anyone and we wouldn’t carry it out. We wouldn’t hurt ourselves and we certainly wouldn’t knowingly or wantonly disobey God. These voices and visions are apparitions we rebuke in the name of Jesus Christ.

Second, we are honest with ourselves. The devil would love us to think we are going mad. To attest to the faithfulness of God, if we are in any doubt, we will seek professional or pastoral consideration. Many times we think we are ill, when, in fact, we are much more normal than we think we are.

Third, we prepare for the next time we receive a mental flash – a voice or a vision. We don’t stress and we calm ourselves by the Spirit of God within us.

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Many times we are worried about voices and visions and where they come from. It is normal to the human condition to receive thoughts that are quite ungodly. God doesn’t condemn us for these, because he knows where they are from (Satan). We just get our thinking back on track, and with a smile.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.

Postscript: I write this acknowledging and hopefully honouring those who do hear voices and see visions that are very real to them.