22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Self-deception is a powerful thing. I also think it is very difficult to truly pull off. I know for myself, even when I think I have pulled the wool over my own eyes, I still know I am pulling the wool. I have not mastered the ability to close off my actions from my moral conscience. I still know I am doing wrong at a very deep level of my being. Our faith journey requires that action follow reception. We first listen to the Word; then we must act on it. If the Word does not change our lives, then we have not truly heard it for ourselves. We have not let it sink deep into our being. Many spouses learn to listen to their mate but not really listen. Many great comedy bits demonstrate this common human relationship downfall. We get used to the way someone talks and we anticipate what they are going to say. As a result, we don’t have to listen any more, since we already know what they are going to say before they even say it. We can even get in the habit of tuning them out when we don’t like what they are saying to us. We can do the same thing with the Word. We think we know what it means, so we go into the ‘zone’. Or we don’t want to deal with the sin, so we simply put on the smile and ignore the voice of God. We miss the challenges God is placing before us, opportunities to change the world, all because we think we know what God wants to say to us. If we think God is speaking to someone else instead of listening to what God is saying to us, we are deceiving ourselves. God wants to speak to us and call us to obedience. We must act on what we are hearing. We can’t just ‘go to church’ and expect something to happen. We must listen for the voice of God speaking to us, calling us to a different life, a different set of actions and attitudes. Every time we are exposed to the Word, God wants to change us. Are you ready for that kind of commitment?
The Arnold Journey 