The Art Of Listening

A lot of us today have a problem with listening. I realized I had this problem years ago, when it came to listening. I’m not talking about being rebellious, and not listening to my parents when I became a teenager, although I did have that problem too. What I am talking about, is when someone is talking to you about something, and you zone out, and your mind goes to a whole different place and you don’t hear half of what they said. This is the listening, I am talking about. Once God started dealing with me about this issue, I realized this also ran in my immediate family. I watched and observed, as one person would be talking, someone else would cut that person off and change the whole subject, and turn everyone’s attention from the one who was originally speaking. I could see the hurt in the face of the one that got cut off, and I realized how disrespectful it is not to listen to someone when they are talking. Even if it is something that bores you, you should still listen. This takes discipline and you have to be mindful when someone is talking to you, and keep yourself focused on what they are saying. (I’m not talking about gossip, that needs to be shut down immediately.) It’s very important to listen. If you have this problem, ask God to help you be a better listener. Many people today need someone they can talk to, someone they can vent to, someone that will care to listen to them. If you want to show the love of God in your life, then be a good listener! Just think about how God listens to you. Be respectful to others in the same way.