Learning to Listen

"Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us..."
Acts 15: 27&28a

I have written much about the Holy Spirit and his presence in our lives. He is always with us and is always speaking to us. But I know that I have spent much of my life trying to differentiate his voice from my own. My mind seems to be confused about who it is that is speaking. Therefore, I am sometimes unsure about direction or decisions. So how do we tell the difference? How do we know when the Holy Spirit is speaking to us?
    The scripture above references a critical decision in the life of the early church. The gentiles had come into the church and there was confusion about what laws they should obey, since they were not followers of the Jewish laws. So the apostles gathered to make a decision and have it delivered to the gentile churches. After much discussion, the verdict was rendered: "It seemed good to us and to the Holy Spirit..."  They went on to direct the gentiles in a few things that they should follow. So the apostles didn't necessarily hear a clear audible voice, or even a clear thought from the Holy Spirit about the matter. They simply arrived at a conclusion, and then tested it by asking God. They felt the agreement and approval of the Holy Spirit and then they acted on it by delivering the decision.
    Sometimes, we make the process of hearing the Holy Spirit much too complex. He is always speaking into our minds, bringing direction and answers. But we say, "Those are only my thoughts." or "I don't know if that is God or not." Rather than spend our energy trying to figure it out, why don't we just agree with the Holy Spirit? If it seems good to the Holy Spirit, go ahead and follow the direction. You may not hear a clear voice in your mind, but you will certainly know when there is the peace of agreement present. If you are acting on your own thoughts and the direction is wrong, the Holy Spirit will correct you.
    This problem of not knowing the voice of the Holy Spirit inhibits our faith. If we spend so much time trying to figure out the direction, we may never come to a conclusion and act on it. So, something that God wanted to bless us with, may be missed. Let's just relax and follow Jesus. When we are comfortable with our relationship with God, we will find it easier to agree with the Holy Spirit. We will be able to separate the thoughts in our minds because we will want the same things that God wants.When this happens, we have learned to listen, we are hearing the Holy Spirit, and there is agreement with him. It's easier than we think!