Mark 4:24-25
“Then He {Jesus said to them, ’Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear more will be given. For whoever has, to him, more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
At first glance this verse can seem fairly harsh and unfair. But I suggest to you that humans already live this way even without the Lord pointing it out.
When people are raising children, one thing that a good parent will do is give the child responsibility in stages. First they may have them pick up their toys, and then if they do that successfully and continually, then the parent might give them the chore of feeding the dog, until one day, the child becomes a responsible adult who can handle many chores. This is the same concept that is in operation in the workplace. If an employee is assigned a task and they complete it correctly and timely, they will receive more tasks that will eventually lead to a promotion. In contrast, if the child or the employee fail to treat what has been entrusted to them with respect then even those things will be taken from them. It is the same thing as the common English idiom “More power to you.” When we conceptualize the verse in the way we are accustomed to seeing it manifest, we realize two things. First, this is the correct order in which to accomplish things and mature people, and second, if we would like to hear more from God, then we must abide by this principle.
Notice the study verse states that Jesus told them {the disciples} to “take heed what you hear…” He was indicating that when God speaks to you and you respond in obedience, then you will be given more revelation and words from the Lord. This is how you grow in godliness and it is the best way.
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