LISTEN

The 'discipline of listening' is rare these days. The self-restraint required to truly listen is all but absent now. To most, It is merely a passive acknowledgment that someone is speaking ... but to a Christian, it is an opportunity to put a person's well-being ahead of his own.  

We are commanded to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself' (Luke 10:27), so it behooves us to be attentive to that which enters the ear. Listening says, 'What matters to you matters to me'.

Sometimes people want advice, but more often they just want their concerns to be heard by someone who loves and cares about them. It comforts the brokenhearted, builds relationships, and encourages faith in God.

Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words], and slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]. James 1:19 (Amplified)

It can take time to hear a person’s true heart. Be quiet, don’t interrupt, don’t finish their sentences, and don’t plan your response while they are still talking.

One who gives an answer before he hears ... is foolish and shameful. Proverbs 18:13

Just as listening attentively to a friend communicates value and worth, paying close attention to the voice of Jesus Christ affirms that you recognize Him as Lord. The Word of God and His indwelling Spirit are meant to be heard and heeded.