TAKE HEED HOW YOU HEAR

   ^{LUKE 8:18}  Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

The above are the words of Jesus, He was explaining the parable of the sower - how when the Word of God is preached, different people receive what they hear differently. He goes on to caution us that the Word of God and its work in us cannot be hidden. In short, Jesus was instructing us to listen carefully and let the Word of God fall on good soil, so we can bear good fruits.

We shall dwell on the topic of hearing or listening - Therefore consider carefully how you listen.

How you hear determines what you hear, and what you do with what you hear. In the same concept, you can choose to see what you want to see in spite of the evidence in front of you. When a half filled glass is put in front of you - you may see a half full glass, or choose to see a half empty glass. In the same vein, you can choose to interpret what you hear to suit you, it all depends on how you hear what is being said.

 

If you are prejudiced, your hearing is set to be clouded by prejudice. If you are filled with feelings of being unworthy, whenever anyone speaks to you, it is very likely you will hear with the ears of an unworthy person. Each advice may sound like a judgement. Words meant to admonish you will come to you as condemnations. People choose what meanings to give to what they hear.

 

Hearing is an act. An act that can be marred by our emotions or by our preconceived ideas or prejudices. Imagine living in the days of Jesus, and listening to His preaching on His body and blood -
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:54

 Bizarre? Absurd? Ridiculous? Unbelievable? Gory?

Well, if you listen to the Words of Jesus literally, you are likely to use the above words to describe his spoken sentence regarding eating his flesh and drinking his blood. However, if you hear the same words with a spiritual ear, the meaning will be different to you.

 

How many times do we fume over words that are actually not meant to make us angry? I remember asking an English man which area in the United Kingdom was known as the Black Country? I asked this question because, just a few moments before, he was talking to a friend, another English man who said he was from the black country. I was only curious and wanted to know which part of England bore this name. But to my utter astonishment, this man looked at me, very upset and told me to turn to Jesus who can deliver me from being a racist.

 

I was baffled! Where from the issue of racism? I only enquired about the black country in England, and for whatever reason, this English gentleman related it to racism. I pressed on to find out why he thought I was being racist, and his reply was - ''I was racist too, my sister, but Jesus saved me.''  This brought illumination to a total confusing matter. This gentleman was once a racist, who claimed he had been saved from being racist. But it seemed he was still hearing with the ears of a racist. The moment I asked about the black country, he looked at me, and probably assumed that because I was a black lady, I was being racist.

 

In the long run, I learnt the black country was an area in the Midlands - Wolverhampton, Dudley,Sandwell and Walsall. My enquiry was an innocent one devoid of racial intentions. I was only curious and wanted to learn. But my gentleman friend due to his past prejudices, heard my question differently. We must BE CAREFUL HOW WE HEAR.

 

Dear one, take heed how you hear everything, including God's Word. Rid your heart of anything that will cloud your judgement. It is only then can you hear clearly.

 

 

 

 

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