When we obediently follow God’s Word and the abundance of wisdom it contains, it shows. It’s apparent in us and our lives. There is absolutely no point in merely knowing the Scriptures but never actually doing them. And yet we all have areas where we are weak, and act as hearers but not doers. We may hear and know certain Scriptures but never make the effort to follow them and apply them to ourselves and our lives.
We can’t merely be listeners, or pick and choose which verses we will follow, and then expect our lives to unfold smoothly or to the fullest potential. This is not to say life for Christians is always smooth sailing, but there is a HUGE difference between the trials God allows in our lives for our growth, and the troubles we face due to disobedience, not following His Word, and making poor choices that are contrary to the wise instruction of Scripture. Don’t be deceived; if you are not acting wisely according to His loving, perfect instruction in the Bible, it is affecting you. Satan may deceive you into feeling like everything is fine, but we will suffer and struggle in the areas in which we fall short by not applying or blatantly rejecting His Word. This is not because He is strict and rigid, but rather because He knows what’s best for us. He does not want us to struggle! That is definitely not the way God wants us to live. He wants us to be happy and live abundantly! By not following His Word entirely, we sell ourselves short of His best for us. Period. We are not wise enough to decide what is best for us. Life is far better when we listen to Him. He is perfect, loving beyond measure, gracious and generous in every way. He knows everything, and His infinite wisdom will yield happy, prosperous lives. He wants us to act according to His Word because it will spare us the heartache of making bad decisions and suffering the consequences that will inevitably follow.
Our entire lifestyle should reflect all of God’s wonderful, wise instruction, not just for our own benefit, but because we love the Lord and want to glorify God! We are lucky to have His Word to live by, so utilize it in every aspect of every day. Our days down here are numbered. There is no time to waste. We must put all of His Word into practice because it’s the only way we can live the best life possible and continue to become more like Christ.
Ask the Lord to show you the areas in which you aren’t adhering to His Word & are acting as a hearer instead of a doer. Pray for His strength to change, be exercised to apply every verse you read/hear, and watch the transformation in your life. You won’t be disappointed. Instead of being led down the wrong path, feeling confused, feeling like it’s so hard to abandon sin or make the right decisions, you will instead feel strong, happier, confident and at peace living wisely according to Scripture.
Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24