Really Listening?
I'm telling you, I have no recollection of it. My husband said, "OK, so I'm heading out now." To which I responded, "Where?" And he said, "Remember, I told you yesterday..." as he went on to explain that we had an entire conversation about his plans. He said I agreed and nodded and seemed engaged in the conversation. Yikes! Where in the world was my head during that conversation? Knowing me, I was distracted with something else and I was just in auto pilot during our conversation. I wasn't really listening, I was just going through the motions of listening. I obviously didn't retain a word. Apparently, it's easy for me to act like I'm listening, but in reality, I'm not.
If I've listened like that to my husband, I wonder how many times the Lord has talked to me and I've gone into auto pilot with Him. I might nod and say, "yes" but His Word never really breaks the surface of my heart and makes its way down.
There's a big difference between hearing God and listening to God. Many go to church each week and hear the Word of God, for example. They nod and say 'yes, Amen' but, just like I was on auto pilot with my husband, they, too, are not listening. Listening to the Word involves a yielding of our hearts and a willingness to line up our thinking and actions with what God is saying. Listening will eventually bring about much fruit because we are pairing what we have heard with faith and obedience.
So the question of the day is this: Are you really listening? Are you not just hearing the Word, but also doing what it says? Are you letting it penetrate the surface of your heart to let it transform you? Are you listening with an open mind and ready to change your thinking if anything doesn't line up with His Word? God is in the business of changing and transforming lives, but He needs us to not just hear Him, but to listen to Him.
If I've listened like that to my husband, I wonder how many times the Lord has talked to me and I've gone into auto pilot with Him. I might nod and say, "yes" but His Word never really breaks the surface of my heart and makes its way down.
There's a big difference between hearing God and listening to God. Many go to church each week and hear the Word of God, for example. They nod and say 'yes, Amen' but, just like I was on auto pilot with my husband, they, too, are not listening. Listening to the Word involves a yielding of our hearts and a willingness to line up our thinking and actions with what God is saying. Listening will eventually bring about much fruit because we are pairing what we have heard with faith and obedience.
So the question of the day is this: Are you really listening? Are you not just hearing the Word, but also doing what it says? Are you letting it penetrate the surface of your heart to let it transform you? Are you listening with an open mind and ready to change your thinking if anything doesn't line up with His Word? God is in the business of changing and transforming lives, but He needs us to not just hear Him, but to listen to Him.
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