"We are, by nature, receivers. Even if we have a desire to learn God' Word, we still listen from a default self-centered mind-set that is always asking, What can I get out of this?... What if we began to think, How can I listen to his Word so that I am equipped to teach this Word to others?" - David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
I, myself, am guilty of zoning out during a sermon or forgetting a message because it does not seem relevant to me at the time. But I have a responsibility to teach the Word to others, not just absorb it for myself. David Platt goes on to saying that when we recognize our responsibility to deliver the Word, it changes how we listen to the Word and it changes who hears the Word. The number of people who hear the Word will multiply because "the people of God are no longer listening as if God's Word is intended to stop with them."
I see now that my faith in Christ is always deepened and confirmed when my heart is set on seeing my friends, family, and peers come to know Jesus. Whether questions in conversations are spurred on by curiosity or skepticism, they challenge me to think past the superficial Sunday School answers, however beautifully simple they may be. They challenge me to dive deeper into my own relationship with God.
I do hope to approach Scripture now as God's blessing that is meant to be shared with others. I definitely heard that before, but why is it now just kicking in?
I do hope to approach Scripture now as God's blessing that is meant to be shared with others. I definitely heard that before, but why is it now just kicking in?
