Sun shining, warmer temperatures and dry ground. All ingredients for lifting up the soul out of the depths of freezing temperatures, mounds of snow, and the dreary, cloudy skies of winter. Also a recipe for an adventure in the park; exactly what my husband and I did with our son this weekend. We packed a lunch, put on our hats and coats, and drove to our city park. This will be the first time our son will experience the playground on his own two feet as a new walker. Upon arrival after unpacking ourselves from the vehicle, we set our son on the grass and began walking ahead of him. Thinking he would just follow, we turned around to find him still standing where we set him. We tried coaxing him to walk to us, only five feet ahead of him. He babbled and pointed and his feet stayed planted. We took a few more steps thinking he would mimic us, and yet he stood as if stuck in concrete. Not afraid. Not sad. Not frustrated. Just frozen and looking around. We began thinking about his view. His perspective. We began viewing the playground as if from his little body. How big it must seem to him. To us the playground was nothing really; a slide, teeter totter, swings and small jungle gym. To our son, giant toys. Toys for giants. Our other trips involved taking him out of the car and walking straight up to the swing. On his own two feet, the world, this playground, seemed ominously large and overbearing. Too many unknowns. Feeling insecure about taking the first steps to explore, to begin a new adventure, he was stuck. Yet protected and carried within the loving tender care of his mama’s arms there was never any hesitation. And in reliving this fun observation, I wonder if we experience the same thing with God? On our own, we lack faith, become hesitant or unsure, maybe fearful, worried or doubtful. In His arms, strong and courageous, faithful in what is to come.
Peter experienced this when he stepped out of the boat. Full of faith in Jesus to step out of the boat to walk on water, and yet he allowed fear to overcome his faith in Jesus. Peter possibly became focused on his own inabilities rather than the authority of Jesus. “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’” (Matthew 14:30-31, NIV). The disciples doubted their resources when Jesus asked them to feed the five thousand and again with the four thousand. Doubted the resource they have in Jesus. “Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’ ‘We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered. ‘Bring them here to me,’ he said’” (Matthew 14:16-18, NIV). And again, the disciples didn’t recognize the authority they were given by Jesus to drive out demons. “…the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith’” (Matthew 17:19-20, NIV). It is amazing to think that the very people following Jesus here on earth struggled with faith in Him. They witnessed everything He was doing, every miracle. How did they lack faith?
“…faith comes from hearing...” (Romans 10:17, NIV). Our son on the playground, watched us walk up to the swings and teeter totter and touch them. He saw the smiles on our faces. Still it was not enough for him to walk to them himself. He was still unbelieving of how he could interact with such a big world. He was still unsure of what would happen. He still lacked faith. So we talked to him. Telling him it was okay and “Look at all the fun we get to have today”. He was hearing us, yet still frozen. Still unwilling to walk to “all the fun” on his own. Still lacking faith in his parents that fun can be had through exploration of new places. Well, he is only one year old. But let’s play this out in the adult Christian world.
Just like the disciples and my son, we might physically see the evidence of Jesus’ hand in our lives. His blessings. Or even blessings in others’ lives. Like the disciples and my son, we might hear a word from God, or hear him speaking to us as we read scripture, pray, or even listen to others teach. And yet our faith is still lacking. Not nothing. Just not to our expectation or desire. We still struggle. Those following Christ want a faith that is unshaken, faith large enough to move mountains right? We do things to try to grow our faith. Pray for strength and guidance, for healing and revelation, for trust and wisdom. Read God’s word. Listen to a teaching. Read the newest Christian nonfiction book that everyone is talking about. Talk with friends. Faith comes from hearing right? But are we still not hearing?
Hearing, as defined by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, is “to be aware of (sound) through the ear (v.) , or the distance within which someone's voice can be heard (n. #2), or the process, function, or power of perceiving sound (n.#3).”
After reading these definitions, I am reminded of the many times as a child, my mother called my name or gave me directions to which I didn’t follow and every time she humorously (funny to me, but not so funny to her) accused me of having selective hearing. Hearing only when and what I wanted to. I think of conflicts I have had with friends or my husband where the breakdown of our communication came from our perception of what we thought the other person said. I think of times when I have called for my dog who has ventured off down our country road, too far to hear me calling. I think of a few 6th graders I used to teach who would notoriously ask me a question, usually to use the restroom, while I was working with another student, to whom I answered yes and then realized I was unaware of the question they asked until I noticed they were absent from the room and questioned them where they had gone (not my most prized moments as a teacher). All examples of the definitions of hearing as it relates to the world. But what about this definition as it relates to hearing from God? Faith comes from hearing, right?
Are we always aware of His sound? How do we have the ability to hear Him? Have we distanced ourselves from Him which keeps us from hearing His voice? Are we misinterpreting His word through our own worldly perception of who we think He is, who we think we are, of what we think He wants for us? We might be listening, but are we hearing? Even Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (Mark 4:9).
How do we get ears to hear? I believe in the book of Mark, specifically the parable of the sower, lies the wisdom God provides us in hearing His truth, His voice.
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times…The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown” (Mark 4: 3-8 and 4:14-20, NIV).
After reading this scripture, I question whether it is really our ears that do the hearing of God’s voice. In verse 15 Jesus uses the words “sown in them.” Where is the word sown? On our hearts. It is our hearts that is the soil. So the question isn’t how do we hear, but rather what is the condition of our hearts? Is it hard ground? Is it rocky where His Word has no root? Are there thorns in our hearts that cause us to worry, choking out the word? Or are our hearts able to hear the Word, accept it and produce fruit? I know my heart has a little hard ground from the unhealed wounds I have experienced in my life. My heart also has some thorns where my worries of this life can choke out the Word. And yet I know there is good soil too. I know this because I have Jesus. His spirit lives in me and it is His spirit tending to the ground of my heart. “But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life” (Galatians 6:8, MSG). I am thankful He does the work in my heart so I can hear. I just have to cooperate. I have to make myself available to hear.
I know my son’s lack of faith on the playground is not a condition of his heart, just a condition of his developmental stage and maybe a little part of his personality to observe first before jumping in with both feet. Yet I love the imagery his experience has brought to my mind as I imagine God’s kingdom as large as the playground is to my son. I am in His kingdom as a child of God. He gives me authority and power to move in His kingdom, to explore, to act, to serve. He gives me the faith to do so as He works on my heart, so I can truly hear His truth and guidance. With this relationship and responsibility, I have to make myself aware, keep my distance close to Him, perceive His word through the truth and knowledge I have of Christ. Then I can hear. Then my faith comes. “Faith comes from hearing” (Romans 10:17, NIV).
- Tami I.
