Don't Become Dull
Read: Hebrews chapter 5
Have you ever heard something so many times that you stopped really hearing it? I think that can happen in our relationship with Jesus. Hebrews 5 says something that honestly makes me stop and think. The writer tells these believers, “You have become dull of hearing.”
Notice that word: become. They weren't always dull. Somewhere along the way, something changed. They had heard the Gospel. They knew the Scriptures. They had been around the church and had been taught about Jesus. They had plenty of information. The problem was that the information wasn't producing transformation. That can happen to any of us.
We can hear sermons about forgiveness and still hold onto resentment. We can hear about trusting God and continue trying to control everything. We can hear about prayer, generosity, serving, holiness, and making disciples, but eventually think, “I've heard that before.” The danger isn't that we've heard the truth too many times. The danger is that we stop responding to it.
Hebrews says that mature believers have their discernment “trained by constant practice.” I love that because it reminds us that spiritual maturity isn't measured by how much we know. Maturity shows up in what we do with what we know. You can watch a thousand workout videos and never get stronger. You can read every book about nutrition and never change your habits. In the same way, you can listen to sermons about faith for twenty years and still struggle to trust God if you never practice trusting Him.
Spiritual maturity requires reps. So this week, don't just listen, practice! Forgive someone. Pray. Worship. Give. Serve. Trust God with something you can't control. Open your Bible and actually respond to what you read. Take a step of obedience. Every act of obedience develops spiritual muscle.
My prayer for all of us is simple: "Lord, keep my ears open and my heart teachable. Don't let me become so familiar with Your Word that I stop responding to it." Stay engaged with Jesus. Stay hungry for His Word. Keep practicing what He teaches you. Don't become dull.
Take a moment to reflect:
Have you ever heard something so many times that you stopped really hearing it? I think that can happen in our relationship with Jesus. Hebrews 5 says something that honestly makes me stop and think. The writer tells these believers, “You have become dull of hearing.”
Notice that word: become. They weren't always dull. Somewhere along the way, something changed. They had heard the Gospel. They knew the Scriptures. They had been around the church and had been taught about Jesus. They had plenty of information. The problem was that the information wasn't producing transformation. That can happen to any of us.
We can hear sermons about forgiveness and still hold onto resentment. We can hear about trusting God and continue trying to control everything. We can hear about prayer, generosity, serving, holiness, and making disciples, but eventually think, “I've heard that before.” The danger isn't that we've heard the truth too many times. The danger is that we stop responding to it.
Hebrews says that mature believers have their discernment “trained by constant practice.” I love that because it reminds us that spiritual maturity isn't measured by how much we know. Maturity shows up in what we do with what we know. You can watch a thousand workout videos and never get stronger. You can read every book about nutrition and never change your habits. In the same way, you can listen to sermons about faith for twenty years and still struggle to trust God if you never practice trusting Him.
Spiritual maturity requires reps. So this week, don't just listen, practice! Forgive someone. Pray. Worship. Give. Serve. Trust God with something you can't control. Open your Bible and actually respond to what you read. Take a step of obedience. Every act of obedience develops spiritual muscle.
My prayer for all of us is simple: "Lord, keep my ears open and my heart teachable. Don't let me become so familiar with Your Word that I stop responding to it." Stay engaged with Jesus. Stay hungry for His Word. Keep practicing what He teaches you. Don't become dull.
Take a moment to reflect:
What's the difference between knowing what God says and actually living it?
Can you think of an area where God has shown you something that you know you need to put into practice?
Which spiritual practice do you most need to work on right now? What would it look like to get some “reps” in this area this week?
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