The Gift of Listening
There are many things that I consider beautiful in this life, none of which are material. For instance, my mother’s laughter or her sweet smile. How after each visit to North Carolina, she never fails to stand inside the doorway while I prepare to depart on my way to the airport. As I grow older, the thing I’ve come to appreciate most about her is how she listens when I really need it most. I, on the other hand, must have been chatting away elsewhere when the Lord was handing out that priceless skill.
However, as we head into the Christmas season, I’m requesting the Gift of Listening from the Lord. Have you ever wondered why life can become so hard at times? Maybe it’s because of our unwillingness to truly listen to the Creator of the Universe. Just think about it. It takes a certain level of humility to truly hear what God is trying to tell us. Listening is defined as, “to make an effort to hear something or to be alert.”
Most of us have heard that’s why the Lord gave us two ears and one mouth, to listen more and talk less. But do we, as believers, really understand this. The ability to really hear what someone is trying to convey to us is powerful. To this point, imagine how some marriages would improve if spouses learned how to truly listen to one another? Can you envision what it would do for some parent/child relationships? Listening is not only an art form but an amazing gift from God. Now, I am aware that the world offers us many methods on how to become a more effective listener. Nonetheless, I’d like to focus on listening from a spiritual prospective.
When was the last time you turned off all your electronics to spend time with the Lord? You’d be shocked at how many people have become so dependent upon technology, that they must have background noise in their homes in order to feel comfortable. As many of you know, I’m a talker by nature. But even I must frequently unplug from outside influences through reading and meditating on the Biblical Word. Another one of my favorite pastimes is to listen to the rain. This simple act always has the most calming affect on me. In fact, I’m one of those weird people who always seems to be blessed with a vision when listening to the sound of rain or while taking a long shower. Incidentally, I love how many scriptures compare the voice of God to the sound of many running waters. Ezekiel 43:2 KJV says, “And, behold, the glory of God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His glory.” Furthermore, Revelation 1:15 KJV tells us, “And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters.” To be clear, it’s not so much the sound of raindrops that moves me. It is my willingness to receive instructions from the Holy Spirit.
As believers, it’s becoming more and more crucial for us to align ourselves to the Will of God. And, just how do we that, you may wonder? By using the other set of facial features that we have besides ears…which are our eyes! Reading and studying the Living Word of God cultivates our Spiritual Listening. Are you currently waiting on an answer from the Almighty regarding a certain matter? Perhaps it’s been awhile since you initially submitted your prayer request to Him. If so, have you been in a position to truly hear His response? You see, our Father doesn’t always speak in a loud booming voice. Sometimes, He will speak to us through subtle clues.
With that said, He could have been speaking to us all along but, because we are not satisfied with His answer, we refuse to listen. For example, if we are struggling financially, then maybe we shouldn’t be thinking about moving into that bigger place? Perhaps we really can’t afford to have that love one participate in that expensive hobby that’s draining all of our extra income? Does it really make sense to buy extravagant gifts for Christmas when our Credit Card is already close to being maxed out?
All in all, have we perfected the Art of Listening as it pertains to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit? He, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith, may have been trying to tell us for sometime, “Right now is not the season for that, Beloved.” But, what do we do instead? We turn a blind eye to our mounting debt and stubbornly declare, “Well, I’m going to do it anyway!” Then we have the nerve to become hurt or frustrated with God when He refuses to suddenly jump up and fix our financial mess. In this season of accumulating gifts, let’s be sure to seek the Lord for one that will serve us far beyond the Christmas holiday. It is none than the Gift of Listening to His majestic voice.
