kryptonite.

“But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse.” Acts 7:57

“I know you are but what am I!” This phrase dominated elementary school arguments After it was used, the insulter was silenced. However, there was one, unfailing action that could be used as a counterattack. The other kid could stick his fingers in his ears and start blabbering and yelling, “I can't hear you! I can't hear you!” It was like kyrptonite to the name-calling superpowers.

We are trained from a very young age to block out what we don't want to hear. Whether its insults on the playground, your parents' instructions to clean your room, or an older sibling tormenting you, the easy solution was to cover your ears or simply pretend you didn't hear them speaking.

Stephen's accusers did the same. They didn't want to hear what God was trying to speak through him. They covered their ears and rushed at him, with the intent of putting him to death.

We, as Christians, read that verse and think Oh that's horrible. I would never do that when, in fact, we do it all the time. When we are corrected, we get defensive. When God tells us to do something, we convince ourselves that it wasn't really Him. When our heavenly Father disciplines us through the authority that He has set up, we reject it. We become embittered with the Stephens God sends to us because we don't like what they have to say.

Like the name-callers on the playground, no one likes to speak to someone who has covered their ears. If they refuse to listen, there's really no point in speaking at all.

When I don't hear from God for a while, my first thought is, “Why aren't you speaking, Lord?!” I have found that the answer is usually that I have not been listening. He wants to speak to us, but our ears are often covered by headphones or gossip and the babbling of the world has drowned out His still, small voice. We drive those that He is trying to speak through out of our presence and lock the door behind them.

I want to hear my Jesus speak to me. Therefore, I need to open my ears and reject any distraction that keeps them from hearing. I also need to be more open to whom God is trying to speak through in my life. I'm going to drop my stones and stop rushing at His messengers. Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.

Proverbs 23:12

“Apply your heart to discipline, and your ears to words of knowledge.”