Being Quick to Listen...Continued from page 1

Even electronically, it’s easy to get into trouble for replying to e-mails without thoroughly reading (or understanding) them.  Many times I have been in such a hurry to respond or return an answer that I have misunderstood what was being asked.

Philip was a great example of someone who listened and understood.

 “An angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Go south down the desert road …’  So he did …” Acts 8:26-27 (NLT).

 “The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’  Then Philip ran up to the chariot …” Acts 8:29-30 (NIV).

Philip reacted quickly because he listened to the angel of the Lord.  As Philip listened, he gained understanding in what he was being asked to do and after obeying, recognized the purpose.  He didn’t interrupt to ask “Why?”  He didn’t try to interject his idea about what should be done.  He just did what he heard because he was quick to listen.

How many of us are quick to run toward a person or situation that may be difficult and really take the time to listen or discern?  It’s so much easier to have “Selective hearing” or even ignore it all together.  I know that I am guilty of this at times.

In any relationship, taking the time to understand one another is vital to the success and life of the relationship.  Conflict arises when two people don’t stop to listen to each other and instead misinterpret what has been said.  Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, author of Love & Respect, says that men and women listen through “blue and pink hearing aids,” respectively.  Jesus said, “The Creator made them male and female …” (Matthew 19:4 NIV).  Because men and women are different, we need to take the time and try to understand each other and our differences.

How can we listen to understand during a conversation?  A great tool is to repeat back to the person you’re talking with what you are hearing them say.  If there appears to be a misunderstanding or confusion, it can be corrected immediately.  A second tool is to ask specific questions back to the person for clarification or to help the conversation go to a deeper level. 

Learning

“If you don’t listen, you’re never gonna learn.” Frank Iero, musician

Most of us have spent at least 12 years in school with the majority of that time listening.  The purpose wasn’t to talk, but to listen and to learn.  I paid for another six years of schooling for an opportunity to listen to additional instructors with the hopes of learning more.  If there was one thing that I did learn it is that I’ve never learned anything by talking. 

Mary, sister of Martha, wanted to listen in order to learn from Jesus’ teachings: