Photo by Fellipe-DitadionUnsplash
While attending my annual clean-out of old files, I came across a saying I once lived by (sadly, time eroded my habit).
“The problem with communication is that we don’t listen to understand; we listen to respond.”
Author unknown
Think about how powerful that is, then consider how true it is in your life.
This is especially true for me. When someone is talking, I think of a similar situation I experienced. Sometimes, I do not wait for the person to finish speaking before inserting “my” experience.
In other words, I am listening to respond.
Imagine how different our world would be if we listened to understand.
However, I want to apply this principle to my “surrender” journey.
Imagine how different your relationship with God would be if you listened and understood.
Then, ask yourself how often you listen to God’s voice to respond.
Here’s an example.
Listening to God’s voice differs from listening to another human voice to speak to you. Although, it is recorded in scripture that people have heard the audible voice of God.
Because God is a spirit, and we are created in the image and likeness of God, humanity is also a spirit, and spirit-to-spirit communication is different than hearing an audible voice.
In spirit-to-spirit communication, you have a “knowing” more than a hearing. For example, there are things that I speak because I “know” them in my spirit but not in my intellect. This is possible because of a spirit-to-spirit communication with God the Holy Spirit.
However, God also speaks to us through his Word, which is my focus for this post.
For example, the Bible says,
“Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalms 37:4 The New International Version
Do you think it means when you want something, you spend extra time with God so he will give it to you? (Listening to respond)
OR
Do you think it means as I get closer to God, the essential things to me change and align with what pleases him? And because the things I now desire align with what pleases him, he ensures I get those things. (Listening to understand)
Can you see the difference?
Remember that I am on a journey to surrender, and for me, it runs deep into the core of my being.
In other words, it isn’t Lord. At one point in my life, I surrendered my desire for fried chicken, fries, and coke, which was an important surrender.
Word of God, speak
God is speaking to you from his Word, but if you are listening to respond, you will miss what he intends for you to hear, which is listening to understand.
Before I found this plaque, I asked the Lord, “Do I need to spend time thinking about this?”
For example, while in the UK last year, I may have met a cousin (kinda exciting). However, my family history is shrouded in mystery, with few details.
This makes it difficult to determine whether we are indeed related.
So, I began doing some genealogical research. I had no idea how in-depth and time-consuming it could be.
I asked the Lord if I needed to spend time with this. The point isn’t spending time on something. The fact is that I am in a close personal relationship with the Godhead and close enough to him to ask if this is something I should be doing.
Is it wrong to do a genealogical study? Of course not, and that isn’t the point of the example.
This statement beckons a challenge.
Are you willing to take one week (seven days) to interact with God through this filter, Lord, help me listen to you to understand?
The application is far-reaching and potentially life-altering, not only in your relationship with the Lord but also with everyone else in your life.
However, try it with the Lord and see what happens.
The journey has begun with some fear and trepidation (which is silly because he is the Creator God who made humanity and has a divine plan for them).
I invite you to follow along because it promises to be an exciting year.
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