Faulty Hearing

James 1:22 tells us, “Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” It is sad to think that many who fill the pews of our churches week by week hear the truth, but do not personally assimilate and apply it. Hearers who do not become doers may fall short for one of the following reasons:

1. They are Sacramental Hearers. They think hearing is enough, in itself. They feel the ritual of attending church, singing the hymns, and listening to the preacher, will give them a restorative dose of religion, with no further commitment needed on their part (cf. Isa. 1:10-15).
2. They are Selective Hearers. They hear only what they want to hear, and what affirms them in their present condition and behaviour. A variation of this is the reinterpretation of what is heard to conform to the listener’s own preconceived notions (cf. I Kgs. 22:6-8)..
3. They are Surrogate Hearers. Being blind to their own faults and failings, they think of all the people who need the message–except themselves. Someone has described this as handling the truth with a pitchfork, rather than a rake (cf. II Sam. 12:1-9).
4. They are Sporting Hearers. They enjoy hearing for its entertainment value, and have an emotional reaction to what is heard. But when the moment is past they return to other things, and the Word is crowded out of their thoughts (cf. Ezek. 33:30-32).