Ignore

I have learned over the years that not everything I hear is worth listening to or responding to. There are people who want my attention simply to get something from me that serves only them. There are others who want my attention to sell me something that I don’t need or really want. I must choose to ignore some people so that I have room to pay attention to the people that matter most.  I want to carefully listen to the Lord speak through His Word and as His Spirit speaks into my heart.

Jesus told a story that pushed hard on the religious leaders. They refused to listen to God because they were stuck in traditions and customs. Check this out….

²⁸ “But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ ²⁹ The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. ³⁰ Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.

³¹ “Which of the two obeyed his father?”

They replied, “The first.”

Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. ³² For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins. (Matthew 21:28-32 NLT)

I must choose Who and what to listen too.

I must choose Who and what to respond too.

I want to walk in obedience to the Word of the Lord and not follow the allure of the world. I want to carefully listen every day to the Lord speaking to me from His Word, from others and certainly from that still small voice.

I want to carefully ignore the meaningless noise that is all around. I want to train my hearing to hear through the noise. I want to ignore the enemy as he temps and tries to distract me from my walk with the Lord.  My choice to listen or ignore is fundamental to paying attention to most important influences in my life. It’s hard to ignore loud or persistent, but the loud or persistent are not always the most important at the moment.

Pressing On!

Dwayne