Listen (Love) Act

Last week at a Bible study I attend, the lecturer was talking about how listening (to God) leads to action (for God). In my notes, I wrote down:

listen ----> action
Something goes wrong in the middle.

This simple diagram of mine has been bothering me all week. Specifically, what is it that is going wrong or lacking which causes the movement from listening to action from ever happening?

This evening as I was praying about whether God wanted me to write another post, I remembered a sermon I'd heard at church back in February which I had meant to write about. I dug through the papers and books on my coffee table and found the sermon notes. As I read them over, it all came together.

Love is what is missing. Love has to be where the arrow is drawn in my diagram.

Think of it this way: My dad asks me to do something. Maybe it doesn't make much sense to me. Maybe I'm tired. Maybe I have a to do list a mile long already. But, I go ahead and do what he's asked. Why? Because I love him. Love is why I act. Not because of what the action is but because of who asked.

We are prompted to action by love.

So, while listening to God, He tells me or leads me to some action. What causes me to make the jump from passive listening to active movement? Love of God. And, usually, when God tells or leads me to some action, it is for the benefit of someone else. So, not only am I acting because I love God but also because my love of God leads to a love of others. There is no love of God without love for others.

It all leads to a beautiful chain of action:
              I love God.
              Therefore, I want to glorify God.
              I glorify God by loving other people.
              Loving other people reminds of me of their Creator.
              My love for Creator God deepens.
The chain continues and grows.

I've done a lot of talking and writing in the past few months. And, a lot of people have listened to and read what I've presented. I'm hoping now for a movement to action. If all you get out of the past few months is knowledge of a significant problem in our world, that's good. I've on one level succeeded. But, I believe the purpose God had for this project is much bigger than that. I believe in a bigger God and a bigger you.

Will you allow yourself to experience a love which prompts action?



Gratitude for this post goes to an interesting assortment of sources which have been bouncing around in my head for a while now but have only just come together: Mica Pruitt's lecture at BSF. Chris Ward's sermon at Seacoast Vineyard. Francis Chan's talk at Passion.