If I could change one thing about myself it would be my voice.

I don’t hate my voice, but it’s just not very manly. I have evidence of this.

Over 50% of all my visits to a drive-thru window result in the worker saying back to me, “Would you like anything else, MA’AM?”

It’s not just drive-thrus either. Whenever I call the cable company or the plumber or another phone system the result is the same. “Yes MA’AM what can we do for you?”

It doesn’t help that Alex is a gender neutral name. So people just have to go off what they hear when the voice comes out.

Here’s the worst part – I got mistaken for a woman in person the other day as well.

As I asked a customer if I could assist them in the shoe department their back was turned toward me. Without looking up they replied, “No MA’AM I’m doing just fine.”

I slunked away like a sad Charlie Brown silently wondering if I should just start shopping the Misses section.

Look – I don’t hold it against people for calling me “ma’am”. Sometimes we mistake one person’s voice for someone else’s. It happens.

Sometimes we even mistake the the voice of God.

You would think the creator of the universe’s voice would be unmistakable: loud, booming, clear and present.

This is not always the case.

Maybe it’s because there are so many other voices that try to influence us on a daily basis.

These voices tell us we should be ashamed of ourselves.

One voice tells me I am not much of a man.

This voice says because I don’t have a deep, bass-filled voice that I am less of a man. The voice tells me I don’t measure up.

This is not the voice of God.

The voice of God does not belittle. His words do not shame. He does not reject us because we don’t match up with the status quo.

Don’t get confused – the voice of God does not encourage everything. It does not embrace sin.

The voice of God does not tell you that you’re fine the way you are.

The voice of God says “I love you, and I am calling you to something more than you are.”

It’s easy to mistake a voice when you can’t see who is speaking. The voice of Satan yells until he is hoarse. And that’s why we sometimes mistake the voice of God.

Really, the voice of God is not that hard to hear. His voice is like a powerful whisper. If you turn off the noise, you just might hear him inviting you into something incredible.

Has anyone ever mistaken your voice? Have you ever mistaken someone else’s? How do you tell the difference between the voice of God and the other voices we hear?