Simply Listen

I remember a man who stopped me once after a church service to tell me some of his troubles. He was not happy with some of the developments in his life and seemed to believe that telling at least one person how he felt would give him some satisfaction. I listened for some time as he described some decisions he had made that resulted in much difficulty.

Eventually I got a word in and asked if he felt anyone had pressured him to make those decisions. “No,” he replied. “It was actually the opposite. I was given much advice to do something different.” The conversation then went on with him doing most of the talking.

As he spoke, I prayed for wisdom, and finally I said to him, “I really have just one word to share with you, and that word is ‘listen.’” He seemed to believe that his greatest need was to talk, venting his anger and frustration. Knowing he had often done this, my challenge to him was to change his mind and decide to listen.

Some of the things that we get most disturbed about happen in our lives because we have not listened. We have not listened to God. We have not listened to wise counsel.  We have not listened to someone who did not say what our itching ears wanted to hear.

Few prayers will make more difference in your life than one that says, “God, help me to  listen and really hear.”

Focus Scriptures

Psalm 85:8

    I will listen to what God the Lord will say;

        he promises peace to his people, his saints--

        but let them not return to folly.

Proverbs 1:5

    let the wise listen and add to their learning,

        and let the discerning get guidance--

Proverbs 12:15

    The way of a fool seems right to him,

        but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 15:31

    He who listens to a life-giving rebuke

        will be at home among the wise.

James 1:19

    My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,