Scripture: Luke 8:19-21
Journal: How are your hearing and your doing these days? Which side are you erring on? How are you making space and time to listen
to God’s voice? What is he saying to
you? And what are you doing in response
to what he is saying?
Reflection:
I have a friend named Kevin who works out at
the gym where I used to be a member.
Actually, I would have to say that Kevin is more of an
acquaintance. You see, almost every time
I went to the gym to work out, I ran into Kevin in the locker room. And each time we saw one another it would
pretty much be the exact same conversation.
He would start by asking me all about my workout, wondering what body
parts I was planning on working out that day, as well as the exercises I would
do to work each body part. Then he would
proceed to tell me, in vivid detail, his plans for the workout ahead. But one day, several months into this
familiar dialogue (which we had three to four times a week, mind you), I had a
bit of an epiphany. I suddenly realized
that I had never actually seen Kevin outside the locker room. He was constantly telling me all about what
he was going to do, but I never actually saw him do any of it. Evidently he enjoyed talking about his plans
and theorizing about his workout, but never really got around to doing any of
it.
Thomas Kelly once wrote,
“Practice comes first in religion, not theory or dogma.” I guess Thomas Kelly had met my friend
Kevin. Or, most likely, Thomas Kelly
knew our propensity (every one of us) to do exactly what Kevin was doing; to
talk and plan and imagine a particular state of being without ever really doing
anything about it. Yet, the reality is
that faith and practice are inseparable.
You cannot have one without the other.
We can talk a lot about prayer and silence and meditation, but, when it
comes right down to it, what we actually do (practice) is much more valuable
(and fruitful) than what we merely say. Jesus
affirms that right here in Luke’s gospel: “My mother and brother are those
who hear the word and practice it.”
Hearing and practicing are both essential to participation in the family
of God.
Talk is cheap. By itself it will get us nowhere. Therefore, let us be careful to practice what
we preach. Let us make sure that life
with Jesus does not just stop at talk, but actually works its way into action.
Prayer
Closing
Prayer: Lord Jesus, never let me separate my hearing
from my doing. Always give me
ears to hear your voice. May I do
nothing apart from that which you have told me to do. And, at the same time Jesus, give me a
willingness and an ability to do what you have said, for faith without works is
not faith at all. The two must always go
hand-in-hand. May it be so.
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