Listen

Does anyone else have a 7-year-old that just will not listen? I mean, he hears you, but he does not listen.

Last night, my husband and I picked up our son from his grandparents. When we arrived home, I told him to not crawl to the front seat to get out of my car. It drives me crazy when he does this! Well, he heard me but the kid proceeded to climb over the console and onto the front seat and then got out of the car. I looked at him and said, "Why can't you just ever listen to me??"

Have you ever heard God say something to you but you didn't listen? Maybe he told you to witness to a friend of yours but you were uncomfortable with it so you didn't do it. Or maybe he told you to lead a Sunday school class but you didn't feel "Christian" enough so you ignored him.

One time when I was in my twenties our church went on a mission trip to the coast. The week we spent there was not like anything I had ever experienced before. We worshiped and witnessed and worshiped some more. I have never felt closer to God than I did that week. That was the first time I had ever heard God tell me what my calling in life was. God has and still is calling me to work with the youth.

Man, I was on fire when we got back home after that week. I led a youth Sunday school class for a few months after that. Then, I met a man. He had started coming to my church. He was cute, nice, and pursued me pretty hard! In the beginning, it was great. We went to church together all the time. We were both serving with the youth in our church. Then one day it just stopped. We quit going to church. We started going out and drinking on the weekends. We had moved pretty far from God. God was constantly telling me to stop and repent and come back to him. I heard Him, but I didn't listen.

Can you imagine how frustrated God gets with us when we ignore him? I can just imagine him yelling at me "Why can't you ever just listen to me??" But just like my love for my son, my God loves me unconditionally. A love that we don't deserve but he freely gives. God has waited countless times on me to listen and will until the end of my time. He will do the same for you!

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock"- Matthew 7:24