Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways.
From our earliest memories we have been told to listen. Our parents started our teaching of this valuable skill and our teachers, coaches as well as number of other people that we have had in our lives, helped to refined it.
It is a well-known fact that we learn better and faster when we are young as we are distracted less and our brains are soaking up everything that is new to us. This happens when we are babies in our Christian walk as well. We are introduced to God and we are quickly infatuated with this new relationship. Everything is exciting, and refreshing. We cant wait to learn something new, and we are eager to go to Church and Bible study so we can be around those who share this love of God.
But as in many relationships, we can lose that initial emotional euphoria that we experienced initially, and we can find that other things, such as old bad habits have crept back into our lives and have taken a hold of our heart and attention.
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV)
One of the fastest ways to find ourselves losing our relationships is because of our communication, or lack thereof. When we stop communicating, this can be unhealthy to our relationships at best, and devastating at worse. It is imperative to keep the line of communication open if we expect to continue in, and grow in our relationships.
This pertains to every type of relationship. It can be between:
Two friends
Two partners in a business
A coach and a player
A employer and an employee,
A Husband and wife, or even between
God and us
Good communication involves many things, and the first one I would like to talk about is Listening. We really wont develop much of a relationship if we are always doing the talking, but never really listening.
Again, this carries into every relationship. Husbands and wives have had their relationships damaged because they felt as though their spouse was never really interested in what they had to say. Perhaps the wife or husband had something very important to say, but their spouse didnt take the time, or was too busy talking, perhaps more interested in what they had going on in their own life.
And the same thing happens with many Christians. They just dont listen to God. Some are good at talking to Him and they have no problem asking Him for the things that they need or want, and yet, they dont take the time to listen.
Q:How do we listen to God?
A:Much like we do when we listen to any other personwe stop talking for a moment and remain silent.
You see, if we get so caught up in simply running around like a chicken with our head cut off, then we are going to be too busy thinking of the next thing to do on our list. We will make time to pray to God for our needs and even the needs of others, but never stop and pause to listen to Him. The next time you pray to the Lord, stop and take a few minutes and simply listen. Ask God if there is something He would like to talk about. I find that this works well when I am on a walk or off away from anything that might distract me.
Another time we should be listening is when we are reading His Word. As we empty our minds of all the distractions of our day, and prepare to read the scriptures, we should be asking God to speak to us through His Word. Many times within my life, the Lord has given me a word of knowledge, or some insight to a problem that I was facing while reading His Word. I have been encouraged when I was downcast. I have been given clear direction for a task at hand. I have been given peace and clarity, and the Lord has comforted me when I have simply been reading and listening to what He had to say.
Another thing that we must be doing is listening for the Holy Spirits leading when making choices. All too often, we see something we want, we begin to fixate on it, and we turn off our brain. We dont ask God for His will in the matter, and when the Holy Spirit starts to speak to us, we shut that part of our mind down. (Insert visual here of spoiled kid with his fingers in his ears yelling na-na-na-na-na-na---I cant hear you&.) Yeah, thats us when we want something, and arent willing to go with what God wants.
How many bad marriages, friendships, or business partnerships could have been avoided if we seriously sought after Gods wisdom, advice and will for our lives, and then listened when He spoke to us?
God will speak through our spouses as well. Wisdom and discernment are given to those who ask, and many times a womens intuition is a voice from God (Sorry guys). I often say that I hear Gods voice speaking to me and many times it sounds just like my wife Carol. But it isnt just spouses that He speaks through, it is other brothers and sisters in Christthose who seek to serve the Lord and give good counsel. When a brother or sister are coming to you and giving you good counsel, listen! And that means going to the Lord in prayer for affirmation, lining it up to His Word, and then applying it.
I want to encourage you today, be a better listener, because thats when you will learn. God has something He wants to say to us everyday. And like the scripture says at the top of the page, Blessed are those who keep His ways. We just need to be willing to listen.
STUDY QUESTION: What does Proverbs 8:32 promise to those who listen and apply what God says? What does 2 Corinthians 11:3 warn us about?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you willing to be a better listener when communicating with others? Are you willing to listen to the Lord today?
APPLICATION: Slow down talking and start to listen a little more. Make time during your day, and especially in your time of devotions and in your prayer life to listen to the Lord.
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