A pastor met with his church board and requested they approve the purchase of a chandelier for the church sanctuary. The next month when the minutes were read there was no mention of the pastor’s suggestion, so he requested it a second time. The third month, the pastor waited expectantly for a report of action taken, but there was absolutely no word in the minutes of his request. So after the meeting, he went to the chairman of the board and asked for an explanation.
“Well pastor, it was this way,” explained the chairman. “First of all,
the secretary of the board didn’t know how to spell the word, and it would have
embarrassed him if we had insisted on including it in the minutes. Second, if
we got one of those things, we don’t believe there is anyone in the church who
knows how to play it. And third, we feel that the thing we really need is
better lighting.” :)
James 1:19 NLT says, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters:
You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”
One of the hardest yet most critical things that needs to happen in our
nation is the willingness to listen to people. It seems like we as a nation are
more divided than ever. Democrats are blaming the Republicans; Republicans are
blaming the Democrats and very few are taking responsibility for their actions.
Of course, truth be known, this is nothing new. Ever since the Garden of Eden
people have been blaming others for their problems and justifying their actions
on account of the actions of others. Yet this will not help to move us beyond
our current situation. I think that in order for us to move forward in any
relationship in which there is conflict has to start with being willing to
listen to what others have to say. This does not mean that you are going to
agree with them. But it is where things start.
There are 4 keys to listening well. First, give the other person 100%
of your attention. That is going to require you to put aside your phone,
iPad, or laptop, and look at the speaker, even if they do not look back at you.
In an ordinary conversation, a speaker looks at you occasionally to see that
you’re still listening. Constant eye contact lets the speaker feel that you
are listening. If you don’t look at the person while they’re speaking, you
give them the impression that you don’t care what they say. In essence, it
appears as though you don’t even care about them. This applies not
only for listening to others but also listening to the Lord. So when you are
doing devotions, seek to focus 100% of your attention on listening to what He
is saying to you through His Word, not thinking about what you are going to do
later or day dreaming about this or that.
Second, if you want to listen well to the Lord and to others, I want
to encourage you to not interrupt.
This is not easy. It is about listening to understand, not listening to
respond. Often times, we listen only long enough to come up with a response.
However, when a person listens wholeheartedly simply to understand, it shows
that we genuinely care about the other side.
Third, if you want to listen well to the Lord and to others, I want to
encourage you to ask questions. Asking sincere questions shows that you
are genuinely interested in the person that you are talking with. Likewise, it
can help us to understand what they are talking about. Often times, the
reason why people struggle to have unity relates to a lack of understanding.
And this principle applies to your relationship with the Lord as well.
“O’ Lord, what do You think about this? Why did You allow this or that to
happen? What do You think I should do in this situation or that situation? Then
as you begin to seek out His answers in His Word, again, ask Him questions.
“God, what is the significance of this account in the Bible or this verse over
here? Why did You inspire the earthly author to place it in this order? What
are You trying to say to me through all of this?
Likewise, as you listen for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit,
there is nothing wrong with asking Him clarifying questions. However, if the
Lord has already made the matter crystal clear, then there can be an issue with
us asking questions at that point. Because then what we are communicating is
that we simply do not like what is being said, therefore, we are asking
questions hoping for a loop-hole or way out.
That is simply a matter of unbelief or disobedience. There is no sense in
that. But there is a lot of sense in asking clarifying questions: both of the
Lord and of others. It shows that we are genuinely interested in them, and it
shows that we are genuinely interested in the One whom we as Christians have
devoted our lives to follow.
One final key about listening is to apply the things that we hear.
Both in the New Testament and in the Old Testament, the words that get
translated as to listen refer also to obeying.
In obeying the Lord we are blessed with His divine guidance. In
applying what other say blesses us with peace and understanding
in our relationships. May that be the case with each one of us.
In His service,
Matt
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