HOW TO GET BETTER AT LISTENING TO THE LORD
I went with a friend to a Bible Study. I didn’t know anyone
except the person who invited me. Haven’t been around new people in quite a
while, so I made a big effort to remember people’s names, but out of five, I
only remembered two. But I’m glad I made the effort because it means a lot to a
person when you remember their name. The Lord remembers all of our names, and
the Apostle Paul tells us: “Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and
follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father] (Eph. 5:1
AMP). So I want to get much better at remembering people’s names!
We let ourselves get distracted by our own thoughts,
rather than listening with our full attention to what the other person is
saying. God puts certain people in our paths for many reasons: to bless us, to
teach us, to wake us up to something new, or so that we can be a blessing back
to that person.
Many times, we get so busy thinking about so many things
that our brains either race into the future or reflect on the past, instead of
staying in the present. The result is that we miss out on quality time just
listening to each other. We’ve forgotten how to have a conversation.
What if we slow down enough to really listen to each
other? Besides practicing consideration and love for each other, it’s great
practice for listening to the Lord.
First John 4:20 says: “For he that loveth not his brother
whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” I could say:
“For he that listens not to his brother who he sees, how can he listen to God
who he doesn’t see?”
Listening is an act of love. If we want to get better at
hearing from the Lord, we can take steps in the right direction by practicing
listening to one another.
When we make the effort to listen to someone, we don’t
want to let our minds take a selfish trip to the past or an anticipatory trip
to the future. We want to do our best to let our hearts and minds engage in the
present. A conversation with another person is not all about us. It should be
about learning about the other person and loving them with God's love. Getting
to know their name is a good first step in showing them God’s love.
Love, Carolyn
My books are all about BIBLE PRINCIPLES FOR EVERYDAY
LIVING.
No comments:
Post a Comment