Have you ever run into a person who does not listen very well? Often when you are talking, this person acts through the motions of hearing what you say yet they either simply do not hear you or chose not to hear you.
Even more so, how frustrating is it to have someone ignore what you have been saying. Perhaps you do know what is best in a specific situation and yet he/she refuses to consider your thoughts and recommendations instead proceeding down their path and refusing to alternate or slow down.
Webster's Dictionary defines this verb as "to hear something with thoughtful attention, give consideration." Listening requires active participation. Listening involves your whole concentration and focus. Listening considers and is considerate.
Now let's apply this to our lives, mine included. Do we listen to God? God could be trying to say something important to us. Are we too busy in our lives to stop and listen? Do we refuse to listen? Do we know how to listen?
If you look up the word listen in the Bible, you find many references that imply listening to God makes up an integral part of the Christian life. The Bible is very clear on what happens if you listen or not. Take the Israelite's of the Old Testament, for example, as they refused to hear the words of truth from God's prophets. Ezekiel 3:7, "But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate." Jeremiah 26:5 also says, "and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened)."
Perhaps we should take today and work on our listening skills to each other and especially God. Things might even turn out better than we wanted, anticipated, or expected....try it.
No comments:
Post a Comment