Take Heed How You Hear

Our Lord admonished that we be careful how we hear (Luke 8: 18). In other words, our motives for hearing, even Him, are important. Hearing as used in this exhortation means more than just receiving audible sounds. Many heard the words Jesus spoke but some from an impure motive.

Are we simply curios? Do we seek some advantage for ourselves? Some listened to Jesus in order to ensnare Him in His words. Sometimes people will listen simply because they admire the speaker.

When we give ear to the teaching of Christ we must do so with an open mind, respect for Him as God's Son and a sincere hunger for the truth. We will apply what we hear to his own lives and not just to others. We will measure what we hear at all times by the perfect standard of God's will.

Great blessings await those who will hear God's word with a love for truth in their heart. With a submissive heart we should say, "Speak Lord, thy servant heareth" (1 Sam. 3: 9).