Selective Hearing

Most of us hear only what we want to hear.

It’s called selective hearing and we are all guilty of it.

Take a teenager with headphones on. He can shut off the entire world in a heartbeat, but talk about his most recent crush, and he won’t miss a word.

Or the patient who listens to the doctor patiently go over the instructions for the fourth time, only to come back 24 hours later with the same confused look.

Selective hearing is frustrating and tedious, but we are all guilty of it.

Nowhere is selective hearing more common than in matters pertaining to faith and God’s Word. I’ve picked out some common issues where we as Christians selectively hear what God is saying in His word.

1. God’s Grace for Sinners vs. Progressive Sanctification. I’m all about grace. I love grace. It gives me peace when I fall, and it encourages me to go on. It’s new every morning and praise God for it. But the truth is that God also wants Christians to grow in their walk with him and to sin less day after day. It’s called sanctification, and it must be evident in the Christian’s life. To remain in the status quo leaning on God’s grace without growth is not a viable option.

2. God’s Provision vs. Sacrificial Giving. God provides for all of our needs, and I’m so happy and thankful for it. Every one of us can attest to it at some point in time.  Yet God’s word is also full of verses that urge Christians to give sacrificially even to the point of discomfort. Take the example of Christ – a king who became a humble servant born in a manger. If you’re still waiting for that big pay day here on this earth, you probably need a hearing check.

3. God’s Sovereignty vs. Personal Responsibility. God is in control of every circumstance in life. He overrules bad timing, bad decisions, bad outcomes. I believe in a sovereign God. He is ultimately responsible for everything every time. But wait a second…what about our responsibility to live responsibly? What about our responsibility to do our share towards building up God’s kingdom? No excuses, Christian. Are you doing your part?

4. Salvation by Faith vs. Works. God said it, I believe it, that settles it. It’s easy and amazing, and best of all it’s free. All you have to do is believe it. We all love the message of salvation by faith alone. Works? What about works? Works are for Catholics and stuff. Yeah, like I said, we have selective understanding as to the things that pertain to faith. God wants us to show our faith by our works. It’s not as complicated as it sounds.

5. Big Sins vs. Little Sins. And we get to the last category of Christian selective hearing. How could I leave out selective hearing as it pertains to gravity of sin? Let me explain…all of us hear that murder is wrong, and that stealing and same sex relationships and adultery are no no’s. But what about anger, and lust, and lies that go unnoticed? Listen – selective hearing is rampant. Are you guilty of it?

The best thing to do when your hearing is off is to grab a Q Tip and clean out those ears. If that doesn’t work, you may need a hearing check.

Can you hear me now?

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