What Are You Hearing?
“ And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure][of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure[of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you–and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.” Mark 4:24 Amplified Bible
Every day you hear things that cause concern, fear or anxiety. It can be anything from words spoken in the workplace to things you hear on the news. We are advised by the Lord to be cautious about what we hear. The above verse implies that just as the focus on the truth leads to wisdom and virtue, so too, the amount of thought we give to negative things will be the measuring stick of the negatives that will come into our life. Now certainly you can’t shelter yourself from all negatives. We are all surrounded by people in our lives that will speak those negative things in our presence. Sometimes those words may even come with the best of intentions, like a doctor giving you a report that you may not have wanted to hear. The words are unavoidable, but you have the decision of what to do with those words once you have heard them. When you hear those things that are contrary to the Word of God, you can either dwell on them and make them a part of you or you can choose to give no thought to it and forget about it.
We should be careful about the things we hear because of their ability to counterbalance our faith. Consider this, if faith comes from hearing the Word as it tells us in Romans, then doubt and fear come from hearing the words and lies of the enemy of your soul, planted in your mind for the purpose of your defeat. Take heed not to dwell on or think of those things but instead, think about the promises and faithfulness of the Lord.
Here is another point to consider in this verse. The more you meditate and think on the promises and faithfulness of God, the greater the measure of strength you have in that area because the verse says that this is a spiritual measuring stick. And this measuring stick is used to determine how much more of that truth (how much greater revelation and fresh insight to strengthen you) will be measured back to you in your time of need. It is easy for us to dwell on the negatives but just think about the benefits to your life by being very cautious about the things that you hear.
One final thought on this subject for you to contemplate. Since you are surrounded by negatives words and comments that cause hurt, fear or depression, wouldn’t it be nice to have a source of positive words invested in your life, words that build you up and strengthen you in your day? You have such a source in the Word of God. As you begin your day, take just five or ten minutes of your morning routine and read the Bible. Whatever you read, think about and meditate on that Word as you are getting ready and perhaps when you are driving. That encouraging Word that you think upon will counter-balance the negatives that will flood in your day, and will lead to increased knowledge given back to you according to the promise of God stated in verse 24 above.
If you are discouraged and defeated by life, maybe it is time to take heed and be careful about the things that you hear and dwell upon.
J. Todd Hostetler