May 19th, 2021: Listening is more than an art



This picture is of Bud and a daughter of a friend of my daughter. He is my daughter and son-in-law's new family member. It appears as if he is learning an important lesson that many of us have failed, the ability to listen. Listening requires more than just patience. It is about reclaiming an important part of who we are with God.


Listening shows that we respect one another and the relationships we have with others. When we listen, we allow ourselves to be free from our bias and judgment towards others. We are willing to acknowledge that the other person might know something we don't. Listening fosters a growing relationship between two people.


Listening is critical in the process of learning. We learn about ourselves, others, and God while listening. Listening is not a passive activity. It demands attentiveness and ongoing mental reflection. Listening helps us to move from where we were yesterday with God to where we need to be with Him today.


Listening is an act of worship. Sometimes I think church worship is too busy, and we don't have enough time to be still and hear God. The temptation many preachers have is to listen to their voices instead of waiting to hear from God. We are not comfortable with silence in worship. We talk and talk as if God has no clues what we are up to in life.


Listening is acceptance. It is not about accepting others. It is about learning to accept who we are in our private moment of listening to God. It is about opening our hearts to receive the promise of God's restoration. When we are able to do that, we might discover the joy of being silent.


Proverbs 2: 2

"Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding."


Proverbs 1: 5

"Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance."

 

Popular posts from this blog

Aug 31st, 2024: Confession

Image
Dealing with pain sometimes affects our ability and flexibility. A physiotherapist friend gave me a set of home exercises to help with that. They are simple yet intense at the same time. Dealing with our human brokenness sometimes affects our ability to see and hear God. Our commitment to spiritual disciplines must be at the core of our relationship with God. One of the disciplines I have been trying to embrace more fully is confession. It’s not just about recognizing where we have gone wrong; it’s about how we have chosen to live our lives independently from God. It’s about whether we truly want God to be part of our lives. The absence of meaningful confession will damage our freedom to experience intimacy with God. "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." - Proverbs 28:13
Read more

Sept 4th, 2024: Praying in Images

Image
It has been a rough few days. Living in immense pain does not allow us much energy to think about anything. I ended up praying in images, and not many words came out of my mouth. Most of the images were of people I know. God knew that I was praying for them as their faces came to my mind. I did not need to mention the circumstances or situations of their lives—He knows. My heart was at peace as I ended my days with these images. He will take care of my body, and I know this because I was able to get some sleep. Tomorrow is in His hands.
Read more

Oct 1st, 2022: Be With Those Who Suffer

Image
  Listening to a young woman who shared her experience of being raped repeatedly by a family member for over four years as a teenager made my heart ache. The man who did that was a leader of a church. He was imprisoned for seven months and released. He was her stepfather. Her mother chose to pick him over her after his release. Her life has changed forever. She had to go to a foster home. Her foster parents helped her with her restoration and her faith in God. Her supervisor at work asked me to see her because someone at work was inappropriate toward her. That triggered many emotions within her. I did not expect the story I heard from her. The meeting took longer than I thought, and it was toward the end of the day. She kept talking about her anger and the pain she felt when men treated her like a subject. I knew that the best I could do was to listen. She told me she had not been able to tell anyone as much as with me. God reminded me of the true calling of being a pas...
Read more