The Transformative Power of Listening

  There are few things in life as important or as transformative as listening.  Allow me to elaborate...when in comes to marriage the health of the relationship is vitally connected to the intentional listening of each spouse to the other.  When it comes to friendship, we would likely not want to spend time with people who never listen to us, and vice versa, others will probably not want to spend time with us if we never listen to them.  When it comes to learning, one cannot learn from someone else if they never listen to the other.  This is seen in obvious ways in education and classroom settings.  If students don't listen to their teachers then they certainly won't learn much.

  Listening is essential for life.  And it turns out, in the realm of spirituality and soul, listening is just as important as it is in any other arena.  

  The Bible is a story and God uses this special story to speak.

  But, if we are not careful we can come to the text of scripture with a variety of assumptions about it's purpose and content such that we are actually not listening.  One of the great tasks of the spiritual journey is listening to the text of scripture in order to allow it to speak on its own terms.

  This is not easy, and anyone who tells you it is, is sorely mistaken.

  Listening to the voice of God via the text of scripture requires patience, diligence, consistency and a willingness to hear whatever God wants to say.  Sometimes what God wants to say to us may bring a challenge, a hard word, an uncomfortable truth.  It is not always going to encourage, uplift or bring us joy; rather, sometimes we need to hear an undoing word from the Lord, a word that untangles us from ourselves, or breaks us in order to resurrect us.

  Make no mistake, we will come to the text of scripture and we will hear a great deal of encouraging, uplifting and helpful/joyful/exciting things, but if we are genuinely listening to the text, we will hear what we need to hear, not just what we want to hear, and that is where listening can be tough.

  Listening is vital for relationships, for learning, for the spiritual journey, and the more we practice, the stronger we will become at this vital life task.

  So, why not start today?!  Listen more carefully to that person who strikes up a conversation with you in the checkout line at the grocery store.  Listen more carefully to that person who is trying to teach you something.  Listen more carefully to your friend who is sharing a deep hurt and needs a listening ear.  Listen to your spouse, to your children, to your coworkers.  Listen and learn, and pay attention for the still small voice that whispers in your heart, and that resonates with the voice in scripture.  

  Listening will transform the way you live, and it will transform even the most difficult and frustrating and disheartening situations - and sometimes listening will bring that which is necessary.  Take time to listen a little better today.