September 11, 2024
Two psychiatrists reconnected at their 20th class reunion. One looked as though he had just graduated. The other appeared, as the expression goes, “rode hard and put up wet.” Though the same age as his colleague, he looked much older — wrinkled and worn. “What’s your secret?” the weary one asked. “Listening to other people’s problems every day for all of these years has made an old man out of me.” The youthful looking doctor replied, “Who listens?”
I encounter a monumental amount of talking throughout the day, both personally and electronically. That said, I don’t run across too many good listeners. Speakers who build beautiful word castles with eloquent verbiage are a dime a dozen, especially in these media-saturated times. Good listeners, however, are as rare as hen’s teeth.
The Bible says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires" (James 1:19.20 NIV). As you ponder these words, consider the following:
Listen to yourself. Make sure you aren’t telling yourself such lies as, “God doesn’t care about me, everybody is against me, my situation is hopeless,” and the like. Satan will try to bring you down by triggering such toxic self-talk. Knowing that, tell yourself, “God knows me and loves me. He has my situation well in hand. He will never leave me or forsake me.”
Listen to others. When at all possible, give people your undivided attention, especially those closest to you. Make good eye contact and don’t interrupt. As Scripture says, “One who gives an answer before he hears, it is foolishness and shame to him” (Proverbs 18:13 NASB).
Avoid offering unsolicited advice and don’t try to “fix” everything. Chances are, you’ll do greater good with your ears, as opposed to the tongue. God made us with two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Listen to God. Samuel, serving as a young boy under Eli the priest, is a perfect example of a faithful listener. When called on by God for a third time, he responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10 NASB). He paid such close attention to the Lord and was so dedicated in his prophecy that “he let none of his words fall to the ground” (1 Samuel 3:19 NIV).
Prophetically recorded, the Messiah said, the Lord “awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear; and I was not disobedient nor did I turn back. Incline your ear and come to me. Listen, that you may live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David” (Isaiah 50:5, 55:3). Centuries later, while on earth, Jesus went on to say, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27,28 [add version]).
If you know Jesus as Savior, that “voice” is likely to come through the Holy Spirit, Christ in you. Of course, He speaks through His Word, as well as creation itself. Also, He communicates through other believers. Just make sure what they say lines up with Scripture.
Before refrigerators came along, ice-houses, built with thick walls, no windows, and tight doors, were used to store ice throughout the year. Gathered in the winter, large blocks of ice were covered with sawdust to prevent melting. Thus, ice was available well into the summer.
One day an ice house worker lost his expensive watch. Several employees searched diligently for the treasured timepiece, with no success. Finally, a small boy slipped into the icehouse, soon emerging from the cold with the watch. When the amazed men asked how he found it, the young lad responded, “I closed the door, laid down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking.”
God is still “ticking.” Stay still and listen closely. Prepare yourself for valuable insight into the abundant life that He desires for you.
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Todd Gaddis is a semi-retired minister living in Athens. He continues to serve as an interim pastor and can be reached at jtoddgaddis@gmail.com.
