FCA ResourcesDevotional
In One Ear and Out the Other
Ready
“But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.” – James 1:22-25
Set
Have you ever picked up your phone to look at the time, saw what time it was, put it away and immediately forgot what time you just saw it? What about when your coach gives you practice instructions, and you need help remembering a single direction he just gave right after he is done speaking?
These are perfect examples of when we are hearers but not doers. It’s common to hear the phrase “in one ear and out the other” when describing a person who appears to be listening but does not retain the information long enough to put it into action.
God warns us against this kind of distraction. His Word, the Bible, is the most powerful tool to connect with and understand God. Often, when we read His Word, we cannot remember what we just read because we are distracted. Other times, we might read His Word and then choose to have the knowledge in our head and not live it out.
For example, God tells us to love our enemy. You may know this truth but choose to be cruel and rude to that one teammate who is cruel and rude to you. Even though you know the truth, you choose to not live it out with your actions.
Christ tells us we will be blessed if we focus, listen and put what we hear into action. If we choose to not listen, forget, or intentionally disregard what God advises us, our days will be much harder than they need to be.
Go
- Do you need help with reading and retaining Scripture?
- What biblical truth do you need to act on and not just listen to?
- How does this relate to your actions during training and competition?
Overtime
“Lord God, thank You for giving us Your Word as our guide in this life. Help us be steadfast in our learning and understanding, not forgetting our truths and choosing each day to put what You command us to do into action. Help us to not shy away from doing the right thing but pursue love and truth. Amen.”
Group