I have recently talked with a very angry man. I could tell he was hearing me as every once in a while he would say something out of his anger. However, he wasn't listening. At least in the sense we usually think of listening. Sometimes we all find ourselves in this quandary. When a person tells the same joke many times we shut off the listening but keep the hearing alive. As Christians we are called to listen to the "small, still voice" that is God talking. Often we view our hearing as a duty pressed upon us by boss, family, teachers, and the like. For those who are subject to the repeated "lecture", hearing seems to be the only option. Listening hasn't worked in stopping the lecture. As we examine ourselves and our communication undoubtly come across both the times we listen and the times we hear. Living in a negative environment people find themselves hearing more than listening. The opposite is true in a positive environment.
Have you ever known someone wasn't listening to you from the get go? The deer in the headlights scenario comes to mind. The person is physically there but the rest of the body has turned off. No one is home. I've also seen these communications (term used lightly) actually become two parts. The speaker speaking and the listener not listening or hearing. In the negative environment communicating is mainly talking to. In the positive environment communicating is mainly talking with. Small word change but it means so much. Especially if we want others to hear us. Again, when we really want someone to listen and hear what we have to share, we need to know someone is actually home and alive. Difficult, but possible, we are able to encourage a negative person to let down the wall long enough to listen to what we say. God waits for us patiently to put an end to our issues so that we can listen to what he has to say.
People talk about not hearing the voice of God. I can understand that as I was once in that very same situation. The event may have been different but the action was the same. Children, at times, hang on every word we speak to them. Their innocence belies the fact that they are learning. When we get older we are more and more convinced that we don't need that same input where the innocence is gone. God says we need to become as little children to enter the presence of the Lord. He uses children because of their innocence. Compared to children, there are times where I don't listen or hear. Maybe you feel he same way. When we don't hear, much less listen, we grieve the hear of God. He wants to be in such a loving relationship that we can hear his still small voice. When we think we have heard it all, know better or are just not there attention wise, we cannot hear the still small voice. Listening and hearing have taken a vacation and no one is home.
When we have spent 50, 60, or even just 20 years of sermons or lessons, we tend to push aside anything additionally said to us. In some cultures it's an expectation to love, honor and respect our elders. In the same cultures it's expected that the elders share their wisdom. In our country there is little of either going on. I once had the pleasure of sitting with 3 men from very different walks of life talking. They were all in their 80's and still had all their faculties. One was my uncle who had spent his entire Army career stationed in China. Another was from a family that had fled their home country when the Nazi's were on the march to conquer. The third was from royalty in Austria who had also fled his country with family in order to escape the Nazi's. That lunch went very long and was the most incredible experience I have ever had. History that had been written by them being offered to me. The lessons were mixed in everything they talked about. Two communications happened that day. The first was invisible. All three men were unaware of each other until they came together (innocence). They all had their story and THAT fact helped them to not just hear but listen to one another. I didn't say a thing. I listened. While beginning to talk was difficult, when they got going their worlds mingled. No one left the lunch richer than I. The event was an incredible eye opener that changed many areas of my life. All because I listen and heard from 3 wonderful old men.
In addition to all that I've said, the lunch was full of faith in God. Each man was now alone in life. This is similar to our beginning relationship with God. The innocence is a wonderful place to start. Ask the questions, hear what is said, and listen for the lesson.
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