January 29, 2024

I don’t like instructions. I’m one of those guys who likes to get things out of the box and just start slapping them together. “How hard can it be?” is usually the question I ask myself as I begin a project. The arrogance in that is the belief that I don’t need help. Specifically, I don’t need help from the people who made the product I’m working on. That arrogance has cost me more time and frustration than I’d really care to admit. I’ve had the nightmare of assembling and reassembling things again and again before I finally humbled myself and read and followed the instructions. Trust me, humility can save you a lot of pain and suffering.
Jesus says that humility is key to a strong walk with God as well. In our passage today He says that “listening” to His teaching isn’t enough. We have to follow it as well. In other words, knowing the instructions are in the box isn’t good enough. Even taking them out and glancing through them isn’t sufficient. They aren’t going to help you if you don’t FOLLOW them!
The same is true with God. Yesterday we talked about the importance of seeking God and His Word. We need to read His Word diligently. We need to listen for His Voice carefully. We must pay attention to what God is trying to say to us. But there’s one step more. And it’s the MOST IMPORTANT step. We have to DO what it says!
This part is the hardest part for most of us. Let’s be honest. Most of us KNOW a lot more about God’s Word than what we’re being obedient to. Think for just a moment about what you already know Jesus says about praying, giving, loving, sacrificing, forgiving, serving, and trusting. In how many of those commandments and instructions would you say you are following Him wholeheartedly? If you answer it honestly, you’ll have some insight into why your walk with God isn’t more dynamic, vibrant, and sure. We don’t become what we know. We become what we DO.
I want to challenge you to spend a few moments with God considering what He may be challenging you to act on today. Ask Him to reveal something He’s already shown you that you’ve not yet put into practice. Make a commitment today to not just be a hearer or a reader of His Word, but to humble yourself and become a DOER. Remember, Jesus didn’t just call us to be “believers.” He called us to be “followers.” That’s God’s Word for you today.