Taken from The Dawning of Wisdom Part 1 Daily Considerations (booklet 3)
Day 24 Learning to listen.
James 1:
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone
should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
Psalm 85:
8 I will listen to what God the LORD will say; ...
Matthew 6:
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Psalm 46:
10 "Be still, and know that I am God; ...
Have you ever spent time with people who are better talkers than listeners? They may be lovely people, but they would just rather talk than listen. How is a Christian supposed to respond in such a situation - get bored, tune out or butt in? The best choice, of course, is to become a gracious listener. It is amazing what one can learn when one becomes an interested listener. However, the most fulfilling communication is when there is good 'give and take' between both parties.
In one community where I lived, a friend would call me when she had something on her mind and she would go on and on about it. I could tell what she had been stewing about in her thoughts before she called me. She needed to release her thoughts to someone who would listen. Sometimes my ear would get numb from holding the receiver against it so long. About the time I would try to state my opinion, she would say that she had kept me long enough and the conversation was terminated. I didn't really mind because I was ready to get off the phone and I still loved my friend.
Sometimes, perhaps most often, we treat God in this manner. We do all the talking in our prayer time and little or none of the listening. We might ramble on and on about our problems or concerns and then when we get it released we say "Amen" to end our monologue. We would get much more fulfillment and satisfaction in our prayer life if we would learn to listen and give God opportunity to give us a thought or an understanding about something. God speaks to us most often in a still, small voice and if we don't learn to become quiet and listen carefully, we just might miss His gentle whisper.
Consider this;
When two people are not comfortable in each other's presence, they will often fill the silence with 'small talk'. They will try to think of acceptable things to talk about. When two people know each other and accept each other, silence is just as welcomed as talking. It is like giving space to the other person to think on what has been said, or the freedom to respond or to not respond. The enjoyment of being together is what counts. And, of course, when one of them speaks and the other one truly listens, communication is most rewarding. It is a good feeling to know you have been heard and to know that you have heard from another's heart.
That's what God wants in relationship with us as individuals. He wants us to pour out our hearts to Him even though He knows our thoughts, but He also wants us to feel comfortable in His quiet presence. It is at such times that He can minister to us.
Some time ago I came to the awareness that nearly every time we traveled in our car or RV, I would play a tape of Christian music or teaching. That was fine, I learned a lot, but then came the realization that as long as I was filling the airwaves with messages about God, I really wasn't making room for Him to commune directly with me. Now these times of going down the road with my eyes on the beauty of His creation and my mind centered on Him and His word have brought new and fresh inspiration to me. I enjoy the silent times equally as much, if not more, as the times of listening to music and teachings. The combination is good balance and makes traveling very rewarding.
Flossie Randels
