Hearing? Doing!

So I'm into Mark now. Whew! Matthew's pretty long one chapter a day. Today I read in Mark 2 about the paraplegic man brought to Jesus by his friends. I highly recommend reading familiar stories again. Each time, what God is doing in and around your life adds to your understanding.

Today, I was reminded of the importance of acting on what you hear. Several years ago, God began working on me about how much hearing without doing there was going on in my life (and in today's world). I'm sure it's gone on for centuries, but there is so much great "teaching" at our fingertips today. We "hear" as much as we want to and often if we choose. But I was shocked as I thought about the little difference it seems to make in people's lives.

In the story I read today, Jesus told the paraplegic man to "Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home." (Mark 2) What if, like we so often do, this man had sat through some great teaching and shook Jesus' hand as he was carried out agreeing with others that "That was a great message Rabbi" and not really thought about it again. Where would he have been? Probably still laying on his mat carried around by his friends.

I'm more convinced than ever that everytime we hear from God (and we hear from Him in lots of ways) we must consider how to adjust our lives to come in line with what we've learned. Even if rather than a 180 degree turn we only make an adjustment of less than one degree. Nothing to adjust? Hard to believe!

Think back to the last time you conciously set out to adjust your life to bring it in line with something God had taught you. Should be easy... chances are it's not. Now, think back to the last "teaching" you remember. What captured your attention? How could you take one step toward gaining ground in that area of your life? What's one way you could make a minor adjustment today in an attempt to adjust your life in line with recent teaching from God's word?

It really is simple! If you heard it... then go do it!