We just got in last night from a Midwinter Retreat at Guadalupe Christian Camp. The theme for the retreat was 'The Voice', inspired by the reality TV show, but with an obvious twist; The Voice, being God's voice.
The speaker was great, inspiring all of the kids listen to God's voice and telling them how God speaks to us as believers.
Again, the speaker was really good, but I also had this nagging thought in the back of my mind that comes from my experience watching a 2 year old; listening is good, but it isn't worth a thing if you don't obey.
There are so many times where I tell Lincoln to do something. Anything from, "Would you please pick up that piece of trash," to, "Please do not slam doors." He's a 2 year-old boy, so sometimes he gets a little spacey.
I end up repeating myself several times and saying, "Lincoln, did you hear me? Lincoln, are you listening?"
"Yes," he responds.
"What did I say?" And about 50% of the time he can repeat it back to me. Then the question is, "Why aren't you obeying?"
Sometimes a time-out is necessary, the result of not listening. But really, that's really only half of it. It's the not obeying that got him in trouble. So my phrasing went from simply encouraging him with, "Listen..." to asking him to, "Listen and obey."
And this was the nagging thought in the back of my mind. As a teenager, it is much easier to listen to God's voice when you are away from home, away from your parents who drive you nuts, away from the bad influences of school, and you have no internet connection. It's when you get back that it gets difficult, because the voice of God has so many competitors! So training in listening is so very important, but I don't want to forget that it is still possible to hear the voice of God and not obey it. And that's really where things can go bad.
Jesus confronts this issue in Matthew 7 when he says, "Therefore, anyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice..." and then later, "But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice..."
It's terribly important that we don't go half way on this, because that could be the difference between a life with a firm foundation, and a life with a shifty one.
I'm sure it's no accident that as I was continuing my reading in Ezekiel this morning, I came across the following passage:
Ezekiel 33:31-32
"So My people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don't act on it!"
Am I expecting God to settle for getting my attention, but none of my obedience? Are you?
1 comment:
I think that's why a lot of people don't like church because they see people who go to church and do what the Ezekiel verse is saying.
However, I think most people who go are trying, but we are like 2 year olds (most of us!) when it comes to listening like you said.
I used to think people who took notes during the sermons were uber-nerdy, but I find myself doing that now. I tuck the notebook in my purse and sometimes during the week I pull it out and read it...it sure helps.
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