Listening and Doing

Posted by Chuck Coates on Aug 12, 2011 in Daily Bread | 1 comment

As I read the Bible more and more the scriptures are becoming clearer in what God’s word says. Each Sunday as Alan brings the message to us and we study his word together I learn something more each time. Each time I learn something I didn’t know before or what I knew before has a totally new meaning and understanding it didn’t have before. Before getting involved with Serious Leadership and reading David Platt’s book “The Radical” and “Sit, Walk, Stand” by Watchman Nee I guess you would say I was just going through the motions and doing the things I thought a Christian was suppose to be doing. I was not doing what God’s word said even though I was hearing it. My mind and spirit have been awakened with a desire to really do what God’s word says. I learned a lesson today which I know is in God’s word, but failed to let God’s word be my guide when dealing with the situation and instead Satan stirred things up. I have a tendency to let anger and frustration get a hold of me and let my judgment and attitude get the best of me at times when things aren’t going the way they should or the way I think they should. The Bible says in James 1:19-20 “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires.”How can I expect my Christian walk to be what God desires if I only hear his word, but I don’t do it and obey it. Thank goodness that my wife has that wisdom about her to bring to my attention the error of my way and make me think about what I say and do even if the content of what I’m saying is right, but I’m not obeying God’s word when those situations come up. If I am not setting the example of being a doer and not just hearing and obeying God’s word what kind of signal am I sending to others that watch me and judge me in my daily walk.