There is a big difference between not hearing and not listening. Not hearing usually has to do with being hard-hearing or having trouble hearing. However, listening is a skill that must be developed and practiced. You can hear and not listen. It is important for Christians to listen to God. We need to listen to His voice. He may speak to use through His Word(meaning you have to read your Bible regularly). He may speak to you through the Holy Spirit who lives and dwells inside of you and acts as a conscience and guide. He may speak to us through prayer. He may speak to us through a person or an event. He may speak to us through your small group leader, Sunday school teacher, or through the preacher's sermon. God speaks to us in a variety of ways, but are we really listening?
It's easy to have God's voice drowned out by our busy lives, the distractions around us, by the undealt with sin in our lives, our bad attitudes, narrow minds, or own opinions. Maybe we don't listen to God because we are too busy talking or trying to control our lives or situations? Truth is God is always speaking to you and me are we listening?
God isn't always speaking to us like a scolding parent or boss. He speaks to us to encourage us, remind us of things, comfort us, strengthen us, give us wisdom and discernment, and all sorts of things. Yes, He may speak to us to warn us of danger, remind us of consequences, or convict us of sin, but God desires a relationship with us and in order for us to have a healthy relationship with God it has to be through Jesus Christ. We have to truly surrender to God and His plan of salvation. We have to allow God to transform us and work in our lives and we do that by listening to Him.
Many of you continue to struggle in your sins or faith because you refuse to listen to God in order to develop or grow your faith. Many of you try to do your own thing and have become set in your religious routines or ways and refuse to listen to God's guidance and promptings. It's time you truly learn to not only hear and recognize the voice of God, but to look for it. To be sensitive to it and not only hear it, but listen to it and respond.
We have too many churches and too many Christians who do not listen to God and who are missing out on truly growing and experiencing God because they refuse to listen or don't take the time or know how to listen to God. If you learn to listen to God in your daily lives you will experience greater peace, purpose, healing, love, contentment, hope, forgiveness, and wisdom. I encourage you to start practicing better listen skills so you can fully experience the power and love of God in your daily lives as we prepare for eternity.
Proverbs 1:5
let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.
No comments:
Post a Comment