IF YOU CARE, YOU LISTEN!
We know for a fact that not everybody can hear. On one end of the scale there are those who are totally deaf and for them the only means of communication is through sign language. There are those somewhere in the middle whose hearing is a bit impaired but can still hear with the help of a hearing aid. And of course there are those on the other end whose hearing is just fine. Wherever we are on the spectrum, whether we have the ability to hear or not, we all have the option as to whether or not we choose to LISTEN. The deaf canÂ’t do much about the ability to hear but even the partially or totally deaf can decide if to LISTEN. Those whose hearing is 100% even though they can hear can also decide if they too will LISTEN. Our condition to hear or not hear is in no way connected to our opting either to LISTEN or not. But hereÂ’s one truth that I invite us today to consider and it is this IF YOU CARE, YOU LISTEN! ThatÂ’s todayÂ’s FF: IF YOU CARE, YOU LISTEN!
LISTENING is hard work and for some people it doesnÂ’t come easy. Remembering where I started, the claim can be made that hearing is not the same as LISTENING. That means then that even the deaf who cannot hear can still LISTEN. To LISTEN is to give your full attention. It is to make a commitment to be engaged. LISTENING is intentional. Because LISTENING is a deliberate action, it ought to yield a definite response upon the one who is LISTENING. To LISTEN calls us to go beyond hearing to the point of accepting and embracing what is being shared. LISTENING means that there is a transference that is about to be deposited within your being. LISTENING then ultimately is a matter of our will. And because of its unique nature, then as a human being I can choose to LISTEN as well as I can decide not to LISTEN.
How and IF YOU LISTEN though is an indication of something else that may not be altogether obvious. It is this, IF YOU CARE, YOU LISTEN! In other words, the intensity of your LISTENING is a reflection of the depth of your CARING. IF weÂ’re concerned enough about the needs of others we will LISTEN to their complaints. IF we take an interest in correcting injustices in our community then we must LISTEN to those who feel as though they have been unfairly wronged. IF we want to really make a difference in the lives of children, then we must carefully LISTEN not only to what is said but sometimes more importantly what is not said. IF spouses want to keep their marriages strong and growing, they must take the time to LISTEN intently to each other. And IF believers CARE enough about those to whom we are witnessing, one of the most effective means of sharing the Gospel of Christ is not only through what we say but also how carefully we LISTEN. After all, IF YOU CARE, YOU LISTEN and then YOU respond.
We know that God CARES because God LISTENS to all that is on our heart and in our minds. Scripture invites us to “Give all your worries and CARES to God, for he CARES about you.” (1 Peter 5:7) As much as God CARES for YOU and so LISTENS to YOU, so too YOU and I must show that we too CARE about what’s on God’s heart. We too must LISTEN to God, especially if we are speaking on God’s behalf. Take a look at Jeremiah 23: 18 in which God laments the spiritual condition of those who speak for God. God asks, “Have any of these prophets been in the LORD’s presence to hear what he is really saying? Has even one of them CARED enough to LISTEN? Obviously not! Might this never be true of us who profess the name of Christ!
So today, LISTEN, knowing that when YOU LISTEN it says YOU CARE. LISTEN first to God because YOU CARE about the things and people that God CARES about. But also LISTEN to those whom God will place in your life and along your daily path. As we LISTEN more and more, maybe the more correct thing to say is not IF YOU CARE, YOU LISTEN, but because YOU CARE, YOU LISTEN!
Mikie Roberts (Rev)
HereÂ’s the link for the blog. Join in the discussions.
http://moravians.net/serendipity/index.php?/categories/1-Friday-Focus
How and IF YOU LISTEN though is an indication of something else that may not be altogether obvious. It is this, IF YOU CARE, YOU LISTEN! In other words, the intensity of your LISTENING is a reflection of the depth of your CARING. IF weÂ’re concerned enough about the needs of others we will LISTEN to their complaints. IF we take an interest in correcting injustices in our community then we must LISTEN to those who feel as though they have been unfairly wronged. IF we want to really make a difference in the lives of children, then we must carefully LISTEN not only to what is said but sometimes more importantly what is not said. IF spouses want to keep their marriages strong and growing, they must take the time to LISTEN intently to each other. And IF believers CARE enough about those to whom we are witnessing, one of the most effective means of sharing the Gospel of Christ is not only through what we say but also how carefully we LISTEN. After all, IF YOU CARE, YOU LISTEN and then YOU respond.
We know that God CARES because God LISTENS to all that is on our heart and in our minds. Scripture invites us to “Give all your worries and CARES to God, for he CARES about you.” (1 Peter 5:7) As much as God CARES for YOU and so LISTENS to YOU, so too YOU and I must show that we too CARE about what’s on God’s heart. We too must LISTEN to God, especially if we are speaking on God’s behalf. Take a look at Jeremiah 23: 18 in which God laments the spiritual condition of those who speak for God. God asks, “Have any of these prophets been in the LORD’s presence to hear what he is really saying? Has even one of them CARED enough to LISTEN? Obviously not! Might this never be true of us who profess the name of Christ!
So today, LISTEN, knowing that when YOU LISTEN it says YOU CARE. LISTEN first to God because YOU CARE about the things and people that God CARES about. But also LISTEN to those whom God will place in your life and along your daily path. As we LISTEN more and more, maybe the more correct thing to say is not IF YOU CARE, YOU LISTEN, but because YOU CARE, YOU LISTEN!
Mikie Roberts (Rev)
HereÂ’s the link for the blog. Join in the discussions.
http://moravians.net/serendipity/index.php?/categories/1-Friday-Focus
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