Amen in action

​Proverbs 19:20 (ESV)
Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.
 
                “Man, that was awesome!” This is what we say, or some variety of that is what we say after impactful experience such as Pioneer Rally, Conference, revivals, or even just a Sunday morning service that hit a little more than usual. We say this because God spoke directly to our hearts because of the wise council of a man of God preaching the word of God. We say this because God dealt with us, convicted us, showed us things, and instructed us, in one way or another but simultaneously, God showed us His grace, His mercy and His power to intervene in our foolishness and show us a way out. There are few things as exciting and fulfilling as feeling like a sermon, or several sermons were handwritten by God directly to your heart.
 
                Great! Now do it! These experiences are crucial to our walks with God. However, they are ultimately pointless and wasted if they are not followed up by us with action! It will never be enough to hear the wisdom… to hear the word preached… to hear the wise council and simply just say, “Amen! Hallelujah!” and then proceed to not act. To not act on wise council from the word of God is to reject the validity of that council. To say with our mouths that it is good is worthless if we do not then change our lives according to the life-giving wisdom that was imparted. In Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus tells the parable of the two brothers… Simply, the father tells both his sons to do their chores. The first one says, “Nah” and the second one says, “Yessir!”. However, the first son who said, “Nah” realized he was wrong and went to do his fathers will. The second one, for some reason or another, did not go. Jesus then asks, “Which one did as their father asked?” Clearly, it was the second one. This tells us something, if we’re being honest, we already know. Words only mean so much. Words not followed by action is only lip service and does not accomplish a single thing. This enforces the saying, “actions speak louder than words”.
 
                The word we so often use as Christians, “amen” simply means, ‘so be it’ or ‘let it be done’. In other words, it means, I agree! I will do it! God doesn’t want your verbal “amen”. He wants your physical “amen”. He wants an amen in action! He wants you to “Listen to advice and accept instruction”. Pioneer rally, conference, revival services, Sunday morning services… Council sessions, phone calls… even blogs… the purpose of these is to provide seed to be sowed. Seed that cannot be sowed by anyone but YOU! Wise council does not change your life… putting wise council into practice does! Review your notes, pray, seek more council and then DO IT! No fruit will come from these things we do without action by you. There is a certain spiritual harvest field within you that will remain baron if you yourself do not sow into it because no one else can. No amount of preaching and teaching can sow into that field. It is a field of action. A field of change. A field of repentance. A field that you need to tend. So, let us say “amen” and then put that amen into action and we will see God move! Amen!