You know a lot of people who attend church regularly, are involved in many church activities, but have lives that do not match what the Bible teaches. On Sunday, they are an angel to be around, but when the church building is exited, so is their aurora of being heavenly minded. Often, the shift in attitude occurs the moment they are in their car to depart the church and go home.
Why? What makes some folks live a life of being a hypocrite? Why do some people just never have a life change in their life? Why is it that there is such a vast chasm between belief and behavior? Why can they hear the same words as Christians, but do not have Christian fruit in their lives?
The solution boils down to the difference between listening and hearing. They listen to the sermon. They listen to the Scripture reading. They listen, and maybe even sing, the hymns and worshipful songs. When they listen, the words become chains of thought that really never impact their living. When others hear, the words become arrows to pierce their hearts in obedience to what they hear.
Gypsy Smith was an evangelist of last century. God used him to save many lives. A large number of people accepted Christ through his ministry. Gypsy Smith told of a man who said he had received no inspiration from the Bible although he had “gone through it several times.” “Let it go through you once,” replied Smith, “then you will tell a different story!” The Bible going through you makes all the difference in the world.
Psalm 103:20 affirms that fact: “Mighty in strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word!” The difference is in the “obeying” of the Bible.
To be heavenly minded, requires a shift from thinking of earthly matters to thinking about biblical matters. This occurs as you obey the Bible in your daily thoughts and actions. Be heavenly minded!
