We hear with our ears, but we should listen with our hearts, also. When was the last time you truly stopped to listen to someone? Some people are a true shoulder to cry on. I have probably two people in my life, that I can pick-up the telephone and cry on their shoulders. I don’t care how trivial the situation may be or how monumental, I can pour my heart out to them. I truly appreciate them and thank them for their time and patience. Sometimes I am an outright crybaby. My emotions runs the gamut of highs and lows, most times. These days just a thought of missing the love of my life will cause moments of sorrow filled tears.
We all need someone at times, just to take time to listen to us. As Christians, we all should be a good listener. But as humans, some of us are not good listeners. Listening is an important skill set in developing and maintaining relationships.
How often have you heard these statements? “You are not listening to me!”; “Why don’t you let me finish what I am saying?”; or “But that is not what I said!” I have heard those statements repeatedly and I have repeated them, and I am the pro of “tuning you out”.
Did you know that there are styles of listening? Oh, yes there are! Some of these styles are: 1) The Faker. Fakers only pretend to be listening. They even have the nerves, when talking to them face to face, to smile while you are talking. They even may nod their heads to. Isn’t that something? All the while knowing that they are not hearing a word that you said. 2) The Interrupter. They never allow you to finish your statement, because they are afraid that they will forget something important that they want to say. Okay, everybody knows that I am this person. 3) The Judge and Jury Listener. They will become so involved in the judgement of the other person’s behavior that they don’t hear the full story. Then they will immediately start attacking the other person without understanding the details of the story. They have judged them and sentenced them, at the same time. “If one gives an answer before the hears, it is his folly and shame.” (Proverbs 18:13)
As Christians we need to hear with more than just our ears, we need to hear with our hearts. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (*Philippians 2:4)
Listening is a courtesy; hearing is a commitment. There is a difference in listening through ears and through heart. Your ears will only listen to what is being said, but when you listen through your heart, you will start to empathize. Listening with your heart simply means giving something, your full attention, by allowing the message to be expressed and giving the opportunity for it to be acknowledged, heard and understood. It’s a desire to show compassion, kindness, comfort, and love. We should listen deeply with our hearts as well as with our ears.
I praise my Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, for being the greatest listener ever. God tells us quite a lot in His Word, about listening with our hearts. God is always listening to us. God is the “best” listener ever, and we don’t have to shout, he hears us even when we are praying silently, because he hears the prayers and concerns of our hearts. God listens to us, he knows us, because we are His. God is always listening, he is just waiting for us to talk to him. Even when we can’t put our prayers into words, God hears our hearts, he feels our pain, and sees our tears. Go ahead and talk to God, because He is always listening.
I love this post. I read it to my family members!