Don’t Just Hear… But DO!

Somewhere early on in my adult life, I learned the importance of taking good and detailed notes.  Often times going back over my initial notetaking and filling in any blanks or further detailing my remembrance of whatever I was learning at the time. I’ve heard it said... and would confess to be a living breathing example of the fact that one remembers more of what is heard when physical notes are written down.

I literally have reams of paper notes that I began taking in 1980 and continue on through today, of church sermon and daily personal Bible Study notes that fit into my old Geodex personal organizer, that I initially began using when I was promoted into management at Hewlett Packard in the fall of 1980. 

That system served me so well as a one-stop organizer for all the various activities in my life, that except for the calendar section, I never switched over to an electronic organizer.  I find that I can hand write my notes and thoughts when listening to something, far faster by hand than by typing them… although when writing, my creative juices seem to flow more succinctly and freely when I use my computer over a mechanical pencil.

That said though… I find that there is also one more additional step that needs to be taken in order for the lessons being heard, to become a practical part of one’s daily life.  And that, as we discussed in our last blog post,* is to “DO!” what is being taught by the pastor, Bible teacher, evangelist or guest speaker or through the Holy Spirit speaking directly to your heart during your personal Bible studies.

If you recall, James introduced the subject in the first chapter of his epistle by stating,

“Do what God's word says. Don't merely listen to it, or you will fool yourselves.”        (James 1:22 God’s Word ©) 

Then he further explains his reasoning in the next two verses by explaining,

“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”                                            (James 1:23-24 KJV) 

In other words, if you hear a great message from the Word of God that speaks to your very soul and take copious notes… it’s a good thing that may stick with you for a short amount of time… but if you don’t immediately begin to “DO!” that word, to put it into practice into your life, to begin making the changes necessary so that this Word becomes an active part of who you are… you will eventually forget it and continue on with your life, like you never heard that Word in the first place.

What I found extremely interesting as I studied these verses, is that the word translated “LISTEN and HEARER” in these scriptures, is defined as a “intensive use of the Greek word ‘akroatēs’” which is the normal Greek word used to describe someone who “attends to, considers, understands and perceives the sense of what is said.” (Strong’s and Thayer’s)  But in this particular usage, James adds to the definition, the idea of “INTENSIVE” which is “the concentrated study of a subject for a short time and/or being very thorough or vigorous.” (Oxford Online Dictionaries)

So, this person isn’t just a casual hearer.  As modern vernacular would say, they don’t just let it go in one ear and out the other, but No… they deeply consider the Word when they hear it in a thorough or vigorous manner… but then fail to follow through and take any personal action based on the truth that they have understood and learned. 

I am reminded of an example that Piper used when teaching during a mid-week service many years ago, about the individual who goes to a Christian Believer’s Convention and gets all excited about the Word being taught… and walks out of the convention center 10 feet tall.  But by the time they get into the car to go home, they are 7 feet tall.  Then when they pull up into their driveway, they are 5 feet tall… and by the time they get to the front door they are shorter than a pygmy and have to jump up and down just to reach the door knob!

That’s a great pictorial example of someone who hears and or studies the Word but doesn’t take any steps or make any personal adjustments in their lives that allow that Word to begin to work in and for them… and then the daily activities and cares of life come in and steal whatever Word they heard… and at times, may even become a little worse off than when they began!

Jesus told a parable on this specific subject in Mark 4:14-20.  In verses 18-19 He stated,

“Some hear the word, but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of riches, and the desires for other things take over. They choke the word so that it can't produce anything.”  

But for the one who hears the Word, takes the time to plant it into the good soil of their hearts and then puts it into use in their lives, Jesus declared in the next verse,

“They produce crops-thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted." 

So… if you are anything like me… then you are going to want 100 times or better yet…100-fold as the King James puts it!  Why settle for less when a little attentiveness to the Word of God, some good Bible teaching, personal diligence, consistency, effort and self-control will reap a whole lot better life than most people will ever realize!

I want to be like the 10ft guy that’s full of the Word… and then stay that way…

Don’t You?

 

* http://pjberruto.blogspot.com/2022/02/do.html