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Are you listening well?

It was family time in church.  The speaker was talking to the congregation about listening.  In the background, as they shared a story and a verse from scripture to take away and apply, some of the adults in the back row were engaged in a private conversation.  (Of course none of you have ever done such a terrible thing!)  The speaker, feeling somewhat peeved at their rudeness and the bad example being set for younger congregation members who were listening attentively said, “Maybe  the back row would start us off as we say the memory verse out loud together!”  Silence reigned!!!  It got the point across but was maybe not the most gracious way of doing so.

I wonder what your listening skills are like!  There can be a whole host of reasons for bad listening.

• Wanting to be part of a conversation going on close by that you perceive to be more interesting or important than the conversation you’re engaged in
• Tiredness
• Feeling that the views expressed by the speaker are wrong whilst yours are right
• Busyness
• You’ve forgotten to remove your phone earbuds!

These are but a few reasons we may fail to listen well.  To be truly listened to makes the speaker feel loved and valued.  Listening well is to love the one you are listening to.  An inability to truly listen shows a lack of love.  I’m so thankful that God listens to me, even when I ramble and express views that may not be His view.  I’m so glad that he never tires of hearing my voice and is never too busy to lend me his ear.

My prayer is that we follow after God’s own heart.  His ‘compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.’ heart (Psalm 103:8-9), remembering that he will empower us to be ‘Quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.’ (James 1:19).  Why not ask him – he’s listening!

The thought this week was written by Fiona Heddle, Minister at Winter Gardens Baptist Church and EBA Moderator

Image by Victoria_Regen from Pixabay