Do you live in a sound proof house?

    That's one way of asking whether you have selective hearing or not.  "What did you say?  I'm sorry but I wasn't listening."  Some people have chosen to not hear while others have bonafide reasons to not hear.  I'm one of the former and later.  Sorry to say it, but I have chosen to not listen, hear, pay attention to and have ignored what others have tried to convey to me.  I've also lost 3/4 of my hearing in both ears.  Without my hearing aids I have a select range of decibels that I cannot hear.  In either case, my hearing is affected.  The sound proof house that many live in is their private little world where they don't listen, won't listen and think that only other people need to listen.  There is a huge difference between "hearing" and "listening."  When we communicate, whether with God or others, we can do more than just selectively engage the event.  We can "really" hear and "really" listen just as we can choose to not do so.  Remember our lives are our choices.  We like to have the excuse handy that others make decisions in our lives that hinder us; when all along we can choose who communicates to us and how.
     We can recognize when a 2 year old is saying "No." even if they don't say a word.  The old line about lawyers and politicians is: "You can tell a lawyer or politician is lying when they they speak."  I know it's a generalization that society has made.  It's also an excuse that is used when necessary.  The same goes for used car dealers.  The Bible talks about our "spirit witnesses inside of us" as a means of how we listen to and interpret what others are saying to us.  The Holy Spirit tells us whether someone is listening or not.  The Bible tells us that God listens to our prayers and knows what we need even before we ask for what we need.  Do we listen to others or do we live in a sound proof house?  The element of violent personal crime has reached new heights.  In New York we read a few years ago that a woman was raped on a public street as people passed by.  No one heard.  No one saw.  No one did anything.  They were living in their sound proof homes. 
     Listening, as opposed to hearing, demands some kind of response.  If our spirit is guided by God who prompts us in our daily living; then we must respond.  We must listen and our house must not be sound proof.  We are in dire straits when we shut out the voice of God.  I know because I've been there and done that all to my own detriment.  It's not just me that's affected but also those who are connected to the interaction God is trying to have for me.  Whether it's the voice of God telling me to say a word to someone or to help change a tire for an elderly person; it's God who is telling me.  If my house is sound proof, there is no reaction on my part.  Having the choice of listening or hearing, we often choose by what is important to us.  Need to get to that golf tee time?  Better not stop and help someone in need.  The important game is on; what do we do about a distressed brother or sister who calls?  Is your house sound proof?
     With all the trappings of being a good Christian man, woman, family, we still find ourselves living in a sound proof house.  Our lives are self-consuming and we miss the point of being a Christian in the first place.  We hear, Jesus said, but we do not listen.  Knowing what is right to do and not doing it is a sin. (James 4:17)  Sound proofing my house comes under several excuses.  I don't want my kids exposed to that.  "That" offends me.  It's not my job to _____.  You fill in the blank.  What does your house look like?  Is the door open?  Are the blinds up?  Is the welcome mat laid out?  Do those around you know that your house listens and doesn't just hear?