Listening

How are you listening to what God's Word is saying to you?

There are actually two kinds of Listeners:

First, there is the Purposeful Listener who accepts, moves and acts purposely on what he or she hears. This person responds both in word and deed and thirsts for the edification and equipping for ministry that God’s Word richly supplies.

Second, there is the Passive Listener. These are those who are excited in the moment about what they hear but never embrace the true essence of the life changing and life sustaining truth of The Word. They like the parts that speak of plenty, prosperity and healing but they are looking beyond the "Blesser" and only seeing the blessing. The Passive Listener doesn't retain what they have heard but it goes in one ear and out of the other.

I pray that today that we may all be Purposeful Listeners and not only hear The Word, but be Doers of The Word.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:22-25 NIV)