To Hear is To Do.

 Speaking has never been a fear of mine. I can speak to anyone, anywhere and at any time. Truth is, I love to talk, even if it's a brick wall.  It has been my family's forever life-long running joke about me. And honestly, I am good with it.  God has blessed me with the gift of gab. A gift I proudly use when He will have me speak into the lives of those He chooses. I love when He gives me an encouraging word; my heart explodes with excitement! After all who doesn't like hearing a promising word of truth right?

My problem comes, notice I said, "my problem", when He will have me speak a truth to someone and it is not what they want to hear. I have those moments when I am ready to run as Jonah did or debate "why me" as Jeremiah. No one enjoys being ridiculed, nor do they relish the idea of having someone reject what God has called them to do or speak. It's easy to hear a spoken word, a promise of truth, or a correction of love to tuck away for my own heart to chew on. But when I know I am to speak as God has instructed me to do, and the words seem to lodge in my throat unable to move any further; it is then my gift of gab can become a talent buried as a dead seed in the garden with no growth, and no harvest.

Matthew 25 verses 14 through 30.

 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.  To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.  The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.  So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.  But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

 “After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.  The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  So, I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So, you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?  Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned, I would have received it back with interest. “‘So, take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.  And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Jeremiah was called to speak again and again to those who rejected, threaten and plotted against him.  I haven't experienced all that he did and do not pretend to know. But I can say rejection tends to crush my heart. I have been laughed at many times. I have been made the punch line of many of jokes, and questioned as to why I would even consider this journey the Lord as me on. Truth be told there were times I allowed the disbelief of those I care for silence what I knew to be true. I am not proud of those times and the sadness I felt when the moment caused me to feel like a disappointment to God.

 By His grace I am not a disappointment and through His love, I am learning daily how to be all He has created me to be.

A servant of Christ is not only hearing His word but also sharing His word in truth and love.  It is boldly confessing the words of our Father in the hope others will receive His goodness. It is standing on His promises knowing He goes before us making a way. It is not only hearing but doing. 

I am walking into a new season. The Lord has been stirring some things inside of me. He is showing me a season that will end and one that will begin. I know there will be those who will not understand and will question what the Lord will have me to do; and that's ok. We live in a world where hearing is necessary, however after we hear it is the doing that is of the utmost importance. To make my days count living in a world where time is short, to be all I am in Christ, do I must. 

James 1 verses 22 through 24.

Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

To hear is to do!