Whether it’s the flesh, laziness, or some freaky spiritual pest, sometimes it can be the hardest thing to even pay attention to sermons.

Sometimes I can listen to the most fervent, Holy Spirit empowered, Biblically saturated, well communicated, thoroughly applicable, doctrinally sound preaching from the pulpit and walk away like I’d just been napping for the last hour. Sometimes, no matter how sharp the sermon might be, I don’t hear a thing.

Examples: I’ll hear a sermon on patience or anger and leave without a single stirring in my heart about all my grumpiness. I’ll hear about pride and think immediately of the pride in others. I’ll hear a sermon on the character of God, the Majesty of his Kingdom, the grace in his Son’s sacrifice on the cross, yet I don’t feel the slightest weight of his glory during the worship.

In short, what I mean to say is I am often DULL in listening to the word of God.

James 1:21

Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

This verse disarmed me the moment I read it. I think it might be one of the most trying things we can do, to “humbly receive” the word of God.

To humbly receive the word of God means we’re not so quick to be offended when it corrects us. Means we’re not so self consumed that we’ve literally tuned out when the preacher speaks. Means we might even start to become suspicious of our own conclusions (especially when we feel our own arrogance puffing up when we’re corrected). Means we don’t feel as if a weight has been added to our lives when God calls us to action, but rather that a burden has been lifted.

How different would our lives be, how bereft of anxieties, and peevishness, and the intoxication of narcissism, if we were to humbly receive the word of God? If we were to say, “God, I trust this. This inconveniences me, but I trust this. And God, though all the desires of my flesh drive me to do my own thing, entice me to disregard your instruction, I will obey. Simply put, I will believe that you are right.”