Do you considered yourself to be a good listener? I have generally felt like I am a good listener. However, God will always be the judge of things, right? I am about to tell you a story that happened in our family. Bless their hearts; I tell them I can only write about things God has shown me personally, and it usually comes through them. Before I tell the story, I want to say that I have a wonderful husband that does many things for me, and I would not trade him for anything. So last weekend I had something happened to me that I thought was a big deal. So I start describing what has happened, and as I am telling Chad the story he says, “ un huh, yeah, un huh,” as he continually carries on the task he has been doing, which included walking into another room for part of the story. So silence fell in the air. He said, “Why did you stop telling the story, I’m listening?” In my head I thought “really, you are giving me your attention in another room?” So I was agitated to say the least, because it appeared he was disinterested about something I thought was important. The next day or so Isabella enters the room, “Mom I have something to tell you.” I said, “Go ahead I am listening.” Mid way through the conversation I go to throw some clothes in the laundry, which is right off our living room. I stopped in my tracks; I thought I am doing the same thing to Isabella, that I got so irritated at Chad for doing to me. I realized I was not truly listening at all. Then I tried to replay how many times I might have made her feel unimportant because I did not give her my full attention. After all, it had made me feel the same way a day earlier. I immediately stopped everything I was doing to make sure I got all the facts of her story, but really to make her feel like whatever she had to say was very important to me. Can I just say those are never the mom moments you want to have, when you realize sometimes you might not be doing a good job.
God immediately brought the verse from James to my mind 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
As I thought about this verse, I contemplated if we even listen to what God has to say? Or do we treat God the same way we treat others around us? We pretend to listen, but do not truly hear. We cannot do, what we have not heard. The only way to know the will of God is to listen to Him, by being near him. I could not understand the true emotion of Isabella’s story until I stopped all activity, and looked into her face. The same is true with God. We cannot hear what he has to say if we do not take the time to linger in His Word, and long to see his face. I love the story where Moses pleads with God not to send him on unless His glory would go with them. And then Moses says, “Show me your Glory.” God did allow Moses to see His back and all the Glory that followed Him. The point is Moses was not afraid to ask, and God was willing to give because Moses was both hearing, and doing. How powerful could our lives be if we truly listened intently to what God had to say? I think sometimes we are scared to listen because we are afraid of what we might hear. Once we hear, then an action is required. So I ask you today have you given your 100%, full attention to what God is saying to you in your life right now. Have you spent enough time in His Word, in prayer, and in seeking His will to know if you are where God wants you to be? I hope you find today the confidence to ask God if you are where you need to be, and the boldness to say, Lord please “show me your Glory”!
Also remember to show people who are speaking to you, especially your family, that they are important enough to you to give them your undivided attention. After all, we are never promised more than the breath we are breathing at this moment.
God immediately brought the verse from James to my mind 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
As I thought about this verse, I contemplated if we even listen to what God has to say? Or do we treat God the same way we treat others around us? We pretend to listen, but do not truly hear. We cannot do, what we have not heard. The only way to know the will of God is to listen to Him, by being near him. I could not understand the true emotion of Isabella’s story until I stopped all activity, and looked into her face. The same is true with God. We cannot hear what he has to say if we do not take the time to linger in His Word, and long to see his face. I love the story where Moses pleads with God not to send him on unless His glory would go with them. And then Moses says, “Show me your Glory.” God did allow Moses to see His back and all the Glory that followed Him. The point is Moses was not afraid to ask, and God was willing to give because Moses was both hearing, and doing. How powerful could our lives be if we truly listened intently to what God had to say? I think sometimes we are scared to listen because we are afraid of what we might hear. Once we hear, then an action is required. So I ask you today have you given your 100%, full attention to what God is saying to you in your life right now. Have you spent enough time in His Word, in prayer, and in seeking His will to know if you are where God wants you to be? I hope you find today the confidence to ask God if you are where you need to be, and the boldness to say, Lord please “show me your Glory”!
Also remember to show people who are speaking to you, especially your family, that they are important enough to you to give them your undivided attention. After all, we are never promised more than the breath we are breathing at this moment.
RSS Feed
