Are You Listening?

What is that old saying?  "You have two ears and one mouth.  Use them proportionately."

It is no secret that listening is a lost art in our culture today.

Adam Bryant, in his book Quick and Nimble, concludes that among other things managers need to have more "adult conversations" — work through "inevitable disagreements and misunderstandings" — and that such conversations require careful listening.

There isn't a team building book, leadership book or management book that I have read that hasn't said it over and over.  Listen - listen - listen. 

But what does the Bible say?  

James 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

Do you listen to God?  Do you allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you?  

A few years ago, someone asked me.  Does God speak?  My answer was, "If you are listening, you'll discover that He is quite a chatterbox."  It was an off the cuff response that wasn't that theological.  

A few weeks later the same person walked up to me and asked.  "How do you get Him to shut up!  He's talking to me all the time!!"   Honestly in over three decades of ministry that is the only time anyone ever said that to me.  

Who do you listen to?  A better question is who do you spend the most of your time with?  Television?  Internet?  Bible?  Friends?  

What are you listening to?  Wisdom and knowledge or entertaining nonsense.  Do you listen to encouragement or negative attitudes? 

When are you listening?  Setting aside time with God is always a good idea.  Choose wisely what you do with your time. 

How are you listening?  Carefully?  Purposefully?  Carelessly?  

PRAY:  Dear Jesus, I want to hear your voice in my life today.  AMEN