Charles Stanley (July-26-2023) Daily Devotional: Two Types of Listeners
Are you still hungry to hear from the Lord?
Acts 17:10-12 - The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.
It’s possible to “listen” to every word of a sermon while actually not hearing a word of it. Sadly, this happens in churches every week—bodies may be in the pew, but minds are somewhere else. In fact, practically every church around the world has two types of listeners: passive and active.
Passive listeners are those who attend church—maybe even every week—but just sit in the pew and let their mind wander. They watch people, notice how others dress and act, socialize with friends, and make lunch plans. They don’t go to church to hear from the Lord but show up out of habit, or because the simple act of going makes them feel better about themselves.
Active listeners, on the other hand, walk into the sanctuary excited about what the Lord is going to say. They have a Bible, notebook, and pen in hand, ready to capture the meat of the message. They jot down as much as possible, trying not to miss a single point of the sermon. And as they listen, they ask themselves, How does this apply to my life?
God communicates in many different ways, and when He speaks, we should do our best to listen actively. Of course, we all have days when we’re less focused, so if you find your mind wandering during worship, ask the Lord to refocus your thoughts and help you tune in to what He is saying.
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