It's so tempting to equate spiritual maturity with biblical knowledge. I can impress people by quoting lots of verses. I've listened to hundreds of sermons. I know theology inside and out. Surely this means I'm spiritually advanced, right?
Wrong. Jesus taught clearly that it's not enough just to hear spiritual truth. We have to actually put it into practice if our lives are going to be rooted firmly in Him. He said that the one who hears His teachings and puts them into practice is like the wise builder who constructed his house upon unshakable rock. When storms came, it stood strong. But those who hear without applying His principles crumble just like a house on sand (Matthew 7:24-27).
Simply listening without acting on what we learn is meaningless. James 1:22 warns believers plainly, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Bible study without life application profits nothing. As those who follow Christ, we are called to be doers of the Word - actively practicing in everyday life what we claim to believe.
So let's get painfully honest today: are there areas where we are fooling ourselves? Places where we know the right thing from God's Word but live out the opposite. Scripture resonates in our heads but does not translate to our habits. We've become excellent sermon tasters but fall short when it comes to sermon living.
That stings to admit! But here's the exciting part - if we ask God to reveal gaps between our hearing and doing, He will show us with incredible clarity. Once aware, we can pray for the desire and power to put truth into practice. His Spirit lovingly guides us into alignment between knowledge and action.
Our lives must match up to our lips if we want to shine God's light and see full transformation. Belief is the seed, but obedience is the fruit. Let's move further up and further into consistent application of God's Word until our doing matches our hearing. God longs to see His truth lived out through us!