THE POWER OF LISTENING
The way I know I have heard someone and listened to them intentionally is when I can remember what they said moments thereafter. If I was truly intentional with listening, I will remember what they said for a longer time thereafter [READ 1 Samuel 3:4-10]. Listening intentionally to someone is a pure and simple form of honoring someone yet, so many of us fail at doing this [READ James 1:19-20]. We hear people but what they say never gets past the sound that hits our ear drum. It is only through listening that the sound goes from the hitting our ear drum to being absorbed by our brain for processing [READ Proverbs 1:5]. Hearing is an involuntary process through which noise and vibrations cause the fluid in the ears to move, sending the sound to the brain. In contrast, listening is a voluntary action whereby one makes conscious efforts to understand the sound once it reaches the brain [READ 2 Corinthians 10:5]. Listening to someone is where you find out where you can meet them in conversation and where they are in life [READ 1 Corinthians 9:22]. It is not meant for you to agree do disagree with them but to consider what they have to say and process it based on your value set to see how it fits in your thinking and what sort of finger hold and/or foot hold you can establish to engage a meaningful and respectful conversation based on intentionally listening to them. This hearing and listening is key in our relationship with God [READ John 8:47]. Do you hear God (just sound without remembering the words) or are you listening to God (words that I am listening to and remembering)? To meet Him where He is at and to meet Him where you are at requires listening not just hearing [READ Proverbs 2:2]. Listening to Him is a fundamental way to honor Him and to respect Him and to make a conscious effort to understand the sound (God’s words) when it reaches our brain. Practice listening in your moment by moment living to develop the discipline of making yourself available in an intentional way for conversations with God and for conversations with people. An intentional way for the conversations with God to be absorbed in our brain for good use [READ James 1:22].
