We can......but
Every week, we come through the church doors. We take our seats, open our Bibles, and listen attentively to the sermon. We take notes and nod when His words resonate with us.
Perhaps, for that moment, we may feel encouraged, challenged, and blessed by the word. When service ends, we close our Bibles, gather our belongings, walk out the doors, and return to our ordinary lives until next Sabbath.
But I wonder, what have we done with what we received?
There is a dangerous place we can be in as Christians where we know much about God, yet do little for God.
We can know every book of the Bible and still overlook the person hurting beside us. We can memorise verses and remain silent when someone desperately needs encouragement. We can attend church faithfully and yet never lift a finger to help the body of Christ grow. We can pray when we are in trouble, but rarely pray for the lost. We can be blessed by God's grace, yet never allow that grace to cost us anything.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1:22)
The word of God was never meant to end on Sabbath.
It should change the way we treat our families, our brethren, and those around us. It may begin with the smallest things—the words we speak, the way we spend our money, and where we give our time. It may be revealed in how we respond when someone is in need, and in how earnestly we seek those who have wandered far and have yet to return home.
Imagine if we pursued the lost with the same urgency we pursue our careers, promotions, and bonuses. How much fuller our Father's house might be today.
Perhaps the problem isn't that we aren't receiving enough.
Perhaps we have received much, but surrendered too little.
One day, we will stand before the One who gave everything for us.
When that day comes, will we have an answer to the question He asks? Not how much we knew about Him, but rather what we have done with what He has entrusted to us.
So, Lord, take us beyond the seat and make us more than hearers of Your word.
Reflection questions:
What has God entrusted to me (my time, money, abilities, or opportunities), and how am I using these things to serve Him?
What might God be asking me to change in the way I speak to or care for my family and brethren?
Who is one person who is still far from God that I can begin praying for, reaching out to, or helping find their way home?
