Monday, January 24, 2011
Ears to Hear
From time to time, my wife has accused me of "not listening." I know, can you imagine?!!? "Really, Gina!" (Did you hear the indignation in that exclamation?)
So, I was standing at the counter of the bank this morning, trying to remember what instructions she had given me. I know she said something, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember what it was! The teller was being super patient, but for the life of me, I was drawing a blank. And the worst part, if I couldn't come through and remember this, it would just be further proof for Gina that I do have ADD issues. ugh!
I've read it several times now in my Bible. It's in at least three of the Gospels and Jesus repeats it in His address to the seven churches of Revelation. On several occasions, Matthew records this important admonition from Jesus, "Whoever has ears, let them hear” (11:15; 13:9, 43). It's as if He is telling the crowds (and His disciples) to, "Listen up! Pay attention now, because what I'm about to say could change your life forever...."
As a preacher and teacher, I can tell you that there have been many times over the years that I've implored those gathered to, "Pay attention and listen up!" (I've even been known to wake up an occasional sleeper.) Sometimes you just get a sense that the crowd is zoning out or that they're distracted by something going on around them. That's what is comforting to me about Jesus' admonition to His congregations! They ALWAYS paid attention to Him, right? He never had to deal with people who just didn't seem to be getting it. I'm not so sure...even His disciples didn't get it at times!
I believe that there are several key components to "hearing" what the Spirit is saying through a sermon or teaching or in our prayer time:
Give God your undivided attention today as you listen, understand, and apply His Word to your life!
P.S. By the way, I couldn't remember Gina's instructions, so I had to text her to repeat them to me. I'm off to make a second trip to the bank now and I'm sure I will hear about this later. *sigh* But the next time, I'm all ears!
So, I was standing at the counter of the bank this morning, trying to remember what instructions she had given me. I know she said something, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember what it was! The teller was being super patient, but for the life of me, I was drawing a blank. And the worst part, if I couldn't come through and remember this, it would just be further proof for Gina that I do have ADD issues. ugh!
I've read it several times now in my Bible. It's in at least three of the Gospels and Jesus repeats it in His address to the seven churches of Revelation. On several occasions, Matthew records this important admonition from Jesus, "Whoever has ears, let them hear” (11:15; 13:9, 43). It's as if He is telling the crowds (and His disciples) to, "Listen up! Pay attention now, because what I'm about to say could change your life forever...."
As a preacher and teacher, I can tell you that there have been many times over the years that I've implored those gathered to, "Pay attention and listen up!" (I've even been known to wake up an occasional sleeper.) Sometimes you just get a sense that the crowd is zoning out or that they're distracted by something going on around them. That's what is comforting to me about Jesus' admonition to His congregations! They ALWAYS paid attention to Him, right? He never had to deal with people who just didn't seem to be getting it. I'm not so sure...even His disciples didn't get it at times!
I believe that there are several key components to "hearing" what the Spirit is saying through a sermon or teaching or in our prayer time:
- Listening: This part is not always as easy as we think. We battle constant distractions, not to mention our spiritual ADD. There will always be a supernatural element to this battle because the devil doesn't want you to hear the Truth; so he will do all that he can to distract you from it. Listening is a discipline and it requires concentration. We have come to believe that multi-tasking is a necessary skill in our world today. We even believe that we are being productive when we juggle several things that need our focus and attention. But multi-tasking can prevent us from hearing all that God wants to say! What Truth have we missed out on, because we feed our ADD with the erroneous belief that this is somehow more spiritually productive.
- Understanding: This is the ability to process what we've heard. Again, a supernatural component is at work, especially when we need discernment. Discernment is the ability to know good from bad, right from wrong, or truth from error. The psalmist prayed this way: "I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes" (Psalm 119:125). And if we don't understand, we need to follow the the disciples' example and ask!
- Application: God will give us the insight that we need, so that we can apply the instruction through our obedient response. This isn't just about "hearing" the message, it is about how we process and respond to what you've heard! That's why God speaks so pointedly through the apostle James: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22). Listen to Jesus' instruction: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Our response is the critical component to "hearing" what the Spirit is saying!
20My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
21Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
22for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.
P.S. By the way, I couldn't remember Gina's instructions, so I had to text her to repeat them to me. I'm off to make a second trip to the bank now and I'm sure I will hear about this later. *sigh* But the next time, I'm all ears!
Labels: application, discernment, listening, obedience, preaching, teaching, understanding
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Be Still
“Be still, and know that I am God!" (Psalm 46:10)
This is probably the hardest spiritual discipline for me. (And "discipline" is an appropriate description!) God's instruction is pointed - right down to the exclamation mark. In our packed schedules, and in our manic busyness, we must learn to quiet our soul, to settle our thoughts, and to unplug our lives from all of the external stimulants.
Some time ago, Gina and I had the opportunity to escape for a few days to a quiet, and very secluded, cabin in southern Indiana. Cell phone reception is spotty at best and there is certainly no wi-fi capability. (Yes, there is a small TV, but no cable.)
One afternoon, by a stroke of good luck, I managed to get one bar on my phone and decided to post something witty and engaging on Facebook. A friend replied, "Dude. UNPLUG!" And he was right!
Instead of enjoying the very thing that I needed (peace & quiet) and craved (time alone with my wife), I was inviting disruptions into our sanctuary of solitude. God may as well have said to me, "BE STILL! CEASE & DESIST!" My friend was absolutely right. I needed to unplug and enjoy the peace and quiet, with God and with my wife.
The bottom line: busyness is habit-forming. And dare I say, addictive. (I can't go into all of the reasons why, but it is worth considering, so spend some time thinking on this!) We seemingly can't live without auditory and visual stimulation. We want to stay plugged in 24/7. The question is: What have we missed from God, because of our stubborn refusal to unplug, disengage, and still our hurried soul?
Silence. Peace. Quiet. Be still. Take the time to create a sanctuary for your soul. God wants to speak to you. And remember that it is often in that "still, small voice" (1 Kings 19:11-13).
Are you ready to put yourself in a place where you can experience God in a more intimate way? Where you can "know" Him? God wants to speak, and reveal Himself, to us. And I am certain that His desire is much greater than our desire to hear from Him.
My advice today: unplug and listen closely. You may be surprised at what you hear!
Labels: listening, quiet, spiritual discipline
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