Listen(Trust)Do

Leslie looked at me and I could tell she was so not going to do what I was telling her.  She understood it, but there was some sort of disconnect between her listening and doing.

Kristin and I had decided that this summer we would work on teaching the kids to swim.  We bought season passes to the pool, new suits for the girls, and stocked up on sunscreen.  Pretty quickly, it was clear that Kenna, the four year old, was content to just hang at the pool, occasionally throwing us a bone by grabbing the sides of the pool and kicking.  But toss her a pool noodle and the "Uh-No" face came up.  So, patience there.  But Leslie, the six year old, she was ready.  Last summer she had mastered swimming with the noodle (we don't do floaties), so this was definitely the time.  We were making some progress on treading water, and so we moved to learning to float on the back.  This is where things went south.  Leslie would lay on the water, flat- and stiff- as aboard.  She would not lay her head back in the water for some reason, even though she had already gone completely under the water for more than 5 seconds repeatedly.  I instructed her to relax and stop being stiff or she'd sink.  She'd do that, but the second she felt my hand leave her back- stiff, then sink, then flail.  I know she was listening, because she would attempt to do what I said.  But when the time came to go into actual action- glub, glub,glub.

I, of course, grew frustrated.  It's what I do when things don't go the way I expect or hope.  Leslie got upset.  The lesson sunk fast.  

Later that weekend, preparing for our church's message on listening and doing from James 1, I replayed the scene.  Here's Leslie, listening.  Here's Leslie not doing.  Oh, how that so paralleled:  Here's Chad listening.  Here's Chad not doing.  So often, I read the scriptures, or feel an urge from God, or hear a song or message that is clearly God speaking to me.  I listen, get excited, then do...nothing.  

James 1:22-25:
 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.  

Why do we- and lets face it, we all do this- just listen and not do?  Why do churches pack'em in by the thousands, but never affect real change?  Why do we read thousands of pages of books- the Bible included- and never apply what we learn?  Why do we choose to sink, when we could be swimming?

We fear other things too much and don't trust Him enough.

I saw this in Leslie when she wouldn't do what I said in the pool.  I believe my daughter trusts me, completely.  But even her depth of trust in me was outweighed by other factors like the water that would go in her ears, not being sure of what floating really is all about, and honestly, probably the fear of "What if THIS is the time my Dad lets me down?"

God asks us to do things all time.  We feel that nudge to go talk to someone, or stop and pray or read something specific.  These are basic, easy, relatively low risk things.  Like me asking Leslie or Kenna to let me carry them on my shoulders, or let me meet one of their friends.  Daily things.  But God asks us to something new, something we view as unfamiliar or even a little dangerous.  If He hasn't, He will.  There is a natural, normal, pause we give to that.  We weigh the cost of it, as the Bible tells us (Luke 14:25-34).  But we only proceed if our trust in God outweighs our fear of the other factors.  And honestly, I think even if we have trusted God with the big stuff before, there is a nagging question of, "What if THIS is the time my Father lets me down?"

The truth is, for us to practice Listening and Doing- Trusting has to be a part of the equation.  Because ultimately, our own understanding is what can keep us from doing what we've listened to.  God's response to that:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart 
   and lean not on your own understanding; 
 in all your ways submit to him, 
   and he will make your paths straight

                                           -Proverbs 3:5-6

Listen to Him.  Trust Him.  Do as He says.

PS- Kristin took over with Leslie after the failure of my teaching.  For some reason, floating on her belly was easier to take than her back.  So she'd float for a bit like that.  Then I tried something- I told her to kick and move her arms like we'd worked on.  She trusted me- because her trust was greater than her fear of the unknown- and took off swimming!

But I'm not giving up on her learning to float on her back.

Elijah Part One - Learning to Trust

I like Elijah.

He dresses funny ( camel skins),  says bold things, does even bolder things, and loves to buck the system.  He's also a bit of loner, which I kinda dig.

The main reason I like him, though, is that he is human.  He is given to fits of pride and ego, depression and mania; he does good, but makes mistakes.  He doesn't care if he offends, but deeply desires that people listen to what he has to say.  So, I want to take a look at his life- I think there is much to learn from this mysterious prophet of God.

Man From Nowhere


Tishbe is the hole inside the hole in the wall.  As such, it is not a place that is easy to find on a map.  Any map.  Not even a map that existed in Elijah's time.  Scholars aren't sure exactly where Tishbe is, of if that is the real name of Elijah's hometown.  Yet, it is how we are introduced to one of the most important prophets of all time.

In 1 Kings 17, we get his story's beginning.  He comes from Tishbe- aka Nowhere- and his first words are addressed to no ordinary person.  No, he speaks to the King of Israel.  Ahab.  Husband of Jezebel and general bad dude.  Ahab had, with his wife, led Israel into idolatry with Ba'al and Asherah- regional 'gods' of fertility and stuff.  So what Elijah had to say was a pointed attack on not just the monarchy, but on the gods they clung to so tightly:

"As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."  (1 Kings 17:1)


Elijah called out Ahab and Jezebel, but he also called out the god of fertility and crops:  no rain = no fertility for farming.  Needless to say, Elijah becomes public enemy number one.

So, what does one do when one has a bounty on their head?


Birds and Brooks


You and I might find an army.  Or at least a strongly fortified hiding spot.  Elijah listens to God, and he goes and grabs a spot of land by a brook.  A small little flow of water, trickling over rocks.  I'm guessing its not well hidden.  And for the next period of time, Elijah has water to drink and is waited on by ravens.  They bring him his food.  Now, I'd be reluctant, what with bird flu and all, but not Elijah.  


He is learning to trust God.


This little episode is pretty uneventful, but it teaches us this:  trust God.  The rest of Israel, remember is in the beginning throes of drought.  Food is becoming more scarce, water even more so.  Yet Elijah wants for none of that.  God is providing for his needs.  How often have we had just enough to get by, yet complain that its not more.  For me, that's pretty much daily.  Yet God has yet to let me go hungry or without water.  And I even have shelter- something Elijah probably didn't.  Not that he needed it- what with the drought and all.


Miracle Jars


As is likely to happen with droughts the water dried up.  But then God told Elijah to go find a certain widow woman and ask her for water and bread.  He does without question.  See, he'd learned to trust God, even when the command or promise seems...odd.


She is found, and Elijah asks for water.  As she goes to get it, he asks for bread.  She informs him that the last of her flour is about to be used for hers and her son's last meal.  Then they will die.  This means the drought is real bad.  Elijah tells her that if she first makes him some bread, God will keep the jar of flour and bottle of oil full.


See, this is not about Elijah learning to trust God- he's got it.  It's about the widow.  Once we learn to trust God, it becomes our obligation to teach others by modeling it with our lives.  The widow listens to Elijah, and the jar and bottle stay miraculously full.  


Supernatural CPR


Not too much later, the widow's son become mostly dead (ref. to Princess Bride, for those in the know).  Irate, the widow begins attacking Elijah and God over bringing this tragedy upon her house.  She responds as most of us would when pushed too far.  But that's just the case, God pushes us to see if we really do trust Him.  Some of us need only to have our needs met like Elijah at the brook.  Others have to be brought to the brink.  They have to be willing to give it all.  The widow has to be willing to trust God with the thing most important thing in her life- her son.  Elijah says he can save the boy, she has to trust him AND God to keep their word.


Elijah takes the boy, lays him down, and then lays on top of him three times.  Weird, right?  But you know what, the boy gets up.  He's alive, restored and better.  And you know what, the widow is as well.  She praises Elijah and God, saying:

“Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.” (1 Kings 17: 24)


Trust Me, Trust God




We ask people to trust us, so that they may some day trust God.


I would wager that more people turn from God because they don't trust the ones who bear His name- you and me.  We need to learn to earn people's trust- not so we can be liked or popular or win their approval- but so that they will be willing to hear us out on God.

Ultimately, a persons choice to choose or reject God has nothing to do with me, I realize that.  But they are on a journey to that choice and I do not want to be a detour.  Instead, I want to be an Elijah, one who trusts God and points others to trust in God.  


With my words AND with my actions.