February 8, 2012 Hear It. Use It.

Listen To It. Use It.

Mark 4:24-25 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you — and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

DO YOU see the ways this scripture is true for you?
If you’re a student who needs to pass a class, you pay attention to enough information to get you through. If you’re a student who really wants to be good at something, you pay really close attention to know as much as you can know.
If for example, you want to be a great carpenter, the more you know and the more you put what you know to use, the greater you will be “measured” by those for whom you build.
One of my big questions in ministry is this: Why don’t people want to know as much of God as possible?
My second big question is: Why don’t people want to use God’s truth in their daily lives?
Jesus says it is critical first that you hear God’s truth (that can be through reading, listening to sermons, etc.) to learn the truth. Then it is mandatory to put God’s truth into action. If you don’t you will lose it.
If you’re a carpenter, pianist, teacher, accountant, salesperson, etc., and you fail to use what you know, you will lose what you know.
The same is true of God’s truth. If you hear it, then put it away, you will lose it. And God will judge you for your lack of faith.
The glorious promise here, though, is that when you begin to use God’s truth it will grow to be a blessing to you and to all around you.

Pause and consider that anything you don’t use is useless.