Listening With Purpose

Listening. How well do we listen? Odds are, not as well as we think we do.

According to the all-knowing Mr. Google, “The average person hears and retains only about 25% to 50% of what is said during a spoken conversation.”

There are plenty of jokes about women complaining that men don’t listen, but do we do any better?

How many conversations have you “hanging on their every word”? Perhaps not that many.

In a normal day, you may listen to your friends chat about how bad things are at work, or about how their children or grandchildren are doing, most of whom you’ve never even met. Or they may take time to catch you up on their health conditions, their failing finances, or how hot it is, or how cold it is. I may bore you with details about the most recent plant I bought!

Many of those topics may not be at the top of your interests, so you’ll hear and retain even less. If we share a common interest, you may listen to me a little more attentively, unless you have something heavy weighing on your mind.

Even if I’m speaking with obvious passion, you may still be easily distracted by all that’s going on around us, wherever we are.

If I’m going to win your attention, I should probably ask you what’s going on in your world first, so that you can ‘let it go’ long enough to eventually hear what I want to tell you.

The key here will be me taking the time to pay attention and listen to what you have to say to me first.

Most of us are not patient people. If the drive-thru lane at our favorite coffee shop or fast-food restaurant takes more than a few minutes, most of us get antsy and may even complain out loud, even if we’re alone in the car. Please, don’t tell me I’m the only one.

No wonder the Lord tells us to, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

How can we know God if our listening skills with Him are as pitiful as they are with our family and friends?

Maybe this is why we have so much turmoil and confusion in our lives. “God is not the author of confusion.” – 1 Corinthians 14:33

Today, how can we make time to quiet our hearts so that we can listen to God and hear what He wants to say to us?

Do we need to spill our guts first? No problem! He’ll listen intently and pay attention to everything we have to say, even though He already knows our thoughts before we think them.

“O Lord, You have searched me and known me.  You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.” - Psalm 139:1-4

He delights in hearing our voice!!!

“He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.” - 2 Samuel 22:19-20

“He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.” – Psalm 18:19

“He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, He shall see His face with joy, For He restores to man His righteousness.” - Job 33:26

“As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”” – Psalm 16:3

He takes great joy in us when we make the time to sit with Him and share what’s in our heart.

How can He can give us the desires of our hearts (show us what our hearts truly desire) if we don’t take the time to sit with Him – and delight ourselves in Him?

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4

Be still. Listen. Delight yourself in the Lord.

Selah. (This means to sit with this; ponder it; think on it.)