In Luke 8:18, Jesus says, “Pay attention to how you hear.” This seems like a warning or an imperative for followers of Christ. Pay attention to — or be careful — how you hear His teaching, which is the Word of God. Most people don’t think much about it; you just hear it how you hear it. Jesus was serious, though, because not hearing correctly comes with consequences.

He said that those who listen will be given more understanding, wisdom and insight from the Word, but those who don’t pay attention or listen correctly will lose the understanding they do have. He didn’t say they would lose the knowledge; He said they would lose the wisdom and insight meant to accompany it. There is a difference between knowing something and understanding it, between learning and applying. This week, we’re taking time to slow down and think about how we’re hearing the Word of God.