Acting vs. Hearing

Matthew Chapter 7 contains an example of two men that built houses, one on rock and one on sand. Jesus said the man that built his house on rock was equivalent to someone that heard his words and acted upon them. The man that built his house on the sand was the same as a person that heard the words of Christ and did not put them into practice. The house that was built on rock stood up to winds, rains and floods. The house built on sand "fell with a great crash" when subjected to the same pressures.



I'm sure that the man that built his house on the sand was impressed with the location. I'm sure he thought he was doing the right thing. No one goes to the trouble of building a house they know will fall. I'm sure another factor that went into his decision to build on sand was the amount of work that would be required to build a home on that location. Another factor that a home builder would consider is cost--I'm sure that the cost of a lot that any wise person would recognize as useless (in regards to building on) was much less than the cost of a lot upon which a home could be built with the expectation that it would last. The fool did not consider the long term implication of building on the sand.



I'm equally sure that the wise man considered the same factors: location, cost and the amount of work required to build on the location. After weighing the costs he decided it was a wise purchase and an excellent location for a permanent residence. He considered the long term implication of building on the rock.



Jesus explained that building on sand was equivalent to hearing the word of God. Building on the rock was the same as hearing the word and then acting upon it. Hearing the word is easy--it costs very little and it looks good. Walking into a church on Sunday with my family, singing along with the songs in the hymnal and listening attentively during the sermon will make me look good to my family and friends. It would cost me next to nothing (short term) to just go home afterwards and then let myself get involved in the day to day demands of life. The amount of my investment would be minimal. My life would look good from the outside: house, wife, kids, two cars and my flat screen TV. Ahhhh... the life. The problem would be that I've invested nothing in my future. It's all just for the "now." When storms come (and they will) I would have no solid foundation to stand on, no anchor. It's one thing to know about hope, it's another to possess it.

Acting on the Word of God helps us possess His promises. It gives us the foundation or anchor that we will need when the storms of life come. Should a family member become ill or lose a job we would still have ourselves rooted in God's promises. I know that Paul made the statement, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God"(Rom 10:17). This statement is true, but incomplete. Paul's own point in Romans chapter 10 was that the Jewish people had heard the Word of God (in the person of Christ), but rejected it/him. Hearing the Word is not the end game. There is more to it. Through this parable Christ teaches us that hearing prepares us for God's promises, but action cements them (thus the scripture James 2:17, "Faith without works is dead" completes Paul's statement regarding faith).

Acting on the Word of God requires a higher level of commitment from us. One of my mangers use to call it "Pig Level" Commitment. This is explained by the comparison of a pig and a chicken when it comes to providing food for the breakfast table: a chicken contributes to the meal, but a pig is committed. This level of commitment requires us to pay a higher price. Our up-front and continued investment is greater. Acting on the Word of God may not look as appealing as just listening to the Word--it's much more difficult. By investing less on a home's foundation I'm sure we could save money to build a fancier looking house--at the same time investing more money in a home's foundation does not add to its curb appeal. Thus, the house with the stronger foundation may not look as appealing, but the value of the investment will be proven in the long run: that house will withstand the storms.

My prayer is that God helps me learn how to act upon His Word. I pray that when presented with a challenge to live out my Christian beliefs, I am up to the task. God help me to not take the path of least resistance. Also, help me to recognize procrastination for what it is. God help me to not be a "hearer" only, but to be a "do-er" of your Word.