In our Christian life, it is not only a question of what we hear, but also how we hear.

It is possible to listen to the Word of God with an indifferent attitude. We can read the Bible like any other book without thinking that the Almighty is speaking to us.

We can listen with a critical attitude. Then we put the human intellect above the Scriptures. We sit in judgment of the Bible instead of being judged by it.

We may listen with a rebellious attitude. When we come across passages dealing with the strict requirements of discipleship or the subordination and head covering of women, we get upset and refuse all obedience.

We can be oblivious listeners, like the man in James “observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ” (James 1:23, 24).

But perhaps the most common are the jaded hearers. These people have heard the Word so often that they have become numb and hard. They listen mechanically to a sermon. It has become a daily routine for them. Their ears are deadened. Their attitude is: “What can you tell me that I haven’t heard before?

The more we hear the Word of God without obeying what we hear, the more our ears become blocked. If we do not want to hear, we gradually lose the ability to hear.

The best way is to listen reverently, obediently, and seriously. We should approach the Bible with the determination to do what it says, even if no one else does. The wise person is the one who not only hears but also does. God seeks people who tremble at His word (Isaiah 66:2).

Paul praised the Thessalonians because when they heard the word of God, they “welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). In the same way, we should be careful how we listen.