18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.
The way we listen to the Word is important. If we listen with the motive of understanding and obedience, we will continue to gain both. If on the other hand, we constantly attempt to pick it apart in order to find some fault, we will lose everything that the Word has to offer. This is not to say that we check our brain at the door. But it does mean that we acknowledge that the Word is the final authority, not our own preconceived ideas about God or the World. If there is a conflict between what the Word says and what some other source says, we choose the Word. Even in the realm of science, the Word is supreme. Many times our shallow understanding of the Word has lead to apparent conflicts with the Word. But given time, the Word comes out on top. Archeology and history have again and again confirmed the accuracy of the Scriptures. There have been momentary ‘contradictions,’ but later the Scriptures came out on top. In understanding relationships, the Word has the final say. When we take the stance that the Scriptures are correct, we put ourselves in the place of the disciple, the student. When we are able to submit ourselves to the guidance of the Scriptures, then our minds and spirits are open to the depth of all that God wants to communicate to us. But when we sit on our high horse of intellectual superiority, we need to get ready to fall. Jesus says we must consider carefully how we listen. Are we listening in order to understand and obey? If we are, our understanding will increase. We have become a skeptical culture. We work at doubting everything. We learn to look for the loopholes. We assume there is some ‘angle’ we might miss that will put us at a disadvantage. But the Lord has our best interest at the center of His will for our lives. We can trust Him.
The Arnold Journey 