Listen -- Who Me?

After reading Amos and Hosea last week and then listening to Pastor Steve’s sermon, I walked away Sunday thinking about what our culture’s reaction would be to both of these prophets if they showed up at Ridgedale some busy Saturday.  What if they showed up here at Calvary?  Yikes!  I wonder how we would react.  Their messages of hope and warning hold true for us today, but would we react any differently? 

I have a mug at home that has Lucy from Peanuts screaming, “I hate listening… I love talking!”  (It’s my favorite mug!)  Sadly, Lucy sums up the way many of us react.  We like to give advice, but how often do we listen to other people in our lives?  I mean, really, really listen.  I am blessed to have several people in my life whom I often go to for their sound advice and counsel on many subjects; they are my own “counsel of the saints.”  Their advice is usually right on track about 99% of the time, even if they may have to say some things to me that I may not want to hear.  Any of you have your own “counsel of the saints” that you go to for wise advice?  It’s hard to hear things sometimes from these trusted advisors, but their advice is always truthful, honest and packed full of wisdom.  Yet, despite their wisdom and their candor, I sometimes find myself choosing not to listen and to follow my own way. 

Now for the big “gulp” – how many of us are willing to “listen” to Hosea’s message through the lens of the cross?  Do we allow ourselves to be convicted and then to make changes in our lives that will lead us back to Jesus or to a deeper relationship with Him?  We often look at Jesus as our Savior; as the one who died on the cross for us, but we stop there.  We accept Him as the carrier of our sins, but we do not accept Him as the Lord of our lives.  We embrace His forgiveness and we “fit” Him into our busy lives on Sundays, but not in all that we do every day.  We “listen” on Sundays, but we may not be such good listeners on Monday through Saturday.  Can I have an AMEN?

Here’s a song by Kristian Sanfill called “Lord of All.” 

To His Glory!

Pastor Carol