Take time to listen…

Luke 8.13 (NIV), “Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root.  They believe for a while, but in the time of testing, they fall away.”

I don’t know how many people in my ministry have told me, “I was so moved, Pastor Bill, by that message!  I was really touched.  I was moved to tears!” 

But a month later, there is still no perceivable life change or behavioral difference in their life.  They’re still living the same way.  They get all excited about the message but they didn’t do anything about it so as a result they are just shallow, superficial. 

They have no roots, so when the heat is on, they’re not going to last.

There in verse 13, it says this type of person received the word with joy, but when they hear it they don’t have any root.  In other words, they don’t retain it.  HE’s saying, you can be thrilled without being transformed.

I journal everyday during my Quiet Time. When I’m reading in my Bible and some verse of scripture says something to me, I stop and write what it says to me, I write it there in my journal.  I want to remember it, I want to review it. 

                                      

Some would say, I've been a CHRISTian for 27 years...  No, they’ve been a believer for 27 years but they haven’t had 27 years of experience.  Just one year of experience, 27 times.

You have to keep relearning because you’re not retaining it.  You’ve got to take time to let it sink in.  You need to schedule time every day where you set down with your Bible and read, think about your life, maybe review some of the lessons you’ve learned, write things down and keep growing by reviewing.

As a retired pastor, I’ve seen many people who have started off great.  When they first became believers they were excited and enthusiastic and full of joy but today you can’t find them anywhere.  They had enthusiasm but that is not enough to make it in the CHRISTians life.  It takes commitment.

It takes commitment to say, “I'm going to set down and regularly review what I’m being taught.”  Why should GOD teach me new things if I haven’t put into practice what HE taught me last week?  or yesterday?  or last night?

Why do people have no roots?  Because they don’t take the time.  How do you get roots?  Allocate time to listen.  Say, GOD, I’m going to spend 10 minutes, 20 minutes every day.  It’s not the amount of time. 

Just get started so that everyday you get alone with GOD and say, “OK GOD, what’s next?  What’s the next step in my career?  What’s the next step in my marriage?  What’s the next step in my family?”

GOD can’t talk to you unless you slow down.  Cultivate an open mind and allocate time to listen.

Just a thought from the front porch…