Date: August 6, 2013 12:33 AM
Topic: +DEV+ Be The Listener
Be The Listener
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven ... a time to be silent and a time to speak." (Ecclesiastes 3:1,7b)
Scripture Focus: John 4
We all know someone who loves to talk, someone with whom conversation is never a problem. But there is also a time to be the listener. In her book, The Sacred Art of Listening, Kay Lindahl writes:
"... a business executive reflected: 'I just realized that I spend a great deal of time preparing myself to speak. I don't think I have ever prepared myself to listen.' Deep listening is a forgotten art." Yes, it's a skill many of us need help with.
In our relationship with God, we can also be quick to do the talking. We'll tell Him about our needs, concerns, grief and hurts. We'll complain or ask or maybe even praise, but in the end, we are doing the talking. Some of us are not accustomed at all to being the one who is listening rather than speaking.
The writer of Ecclesiastes, assumed to be the wise King Solomon, surmised that in the grand picture of life there is also a time to be silent, to listen. Through His grace and love for us, God has provided His Word and His Spirit to speak to us, and His Son who lived it out. Shall we take some quiet moments today to practice the art of listening?
Insight: Like those who first listened to Jesus, we can hear Him speak comfort for our greatest needs, both physical and spiritual.
Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship and Bible study groups.
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