The Lost Art of Listening

right . I believe that there is a fundamental skill of life that we are beginning to lose . We all still have this skill to some extent , but it is obviously dwindling more and more as time goes on is the simple skill of listening , which is a real shame because people have a lot of good things to say .

I think one of our biggest problems is that we listen to portions of what the other person says and , as they're about halfway through what they're saying , we're already formulating our answer in our head and we're not hearing the rest of what they have to say . Maybe that's why the media is so good at taking statements

out of context and using them . But the problem is it's not just the media , it's us . Do you know that Proverbs 18 , verse 13 , it says to answer before listening ? That is folly and shame . I really like , actually , the way the Message Bible puts it . It says answering before listening is bothlly and shame .

I really like actually the way the Message Bible puts it . It says answering before listening is both stupid and rude . I mean , it puts it right on the line . If we're going to answer before we fully listen , we are being rude and we're showing how ignorant we are . The Bible actually has a lot to say about listening and the importance of it .

James 1.9 says you must be quick to listen and slow to speak and slow to get angry . Pastor Charles Swindoll wrote a book called Stress Fractures and he tells a story of a time where he found himself with too many commitments in too few days and he got very tense and very nervous about it .

He said I was snapping at my wife and our children , choking down my food at mealtimes and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions throughout the day . Before long , things around our home started reflecting the pattern of my hurry-up style . It was becoming unbearable

. He goes on . I distinctly remember after supper one evening , the words of our younger daughter , colleen . She wanted to tell me something important that had happened to her at school that day . She began hurriedly Daddy , I want to tell you something and I'll tell you really fast .

Suddenly , realizing her frustration , I answered Honey , you can tell me , and you don't have to tell me really fast . Say it slowly . She looked at me with a very stern face and said Then listen slowly . We have to learn to listen . Listening is important . Revelation 2.7 says Whoever has ears let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches .

Let me put this to you I believe that when God starts to speak to us , we need to learn to listen to everything he says as well . Our minds are racing about everything we go through every day .

We are always thinking about what's next and what to do and how to get everything done , and sometimes God just wants us to stop , to be still and know that he is God and to listen to what he says . Take time to listen . We probably talk to Him often . We probably talk to Him a whole lot about what's happening in our lives and what we're frustrated with .

But we need to remember that a relationship with God is just that . It is a relationship , and in a full relationship there has to be two-way communication , and in a full relationship there has to be two-way communication . God wants to speak to you and to me , so he wants us to be quick to listen and slow to speak .

He wants us to hear what he has to say . God wants to work with us in our lives . He's here to guide us , to encourage us , to direct us and help us . That's what he wants to do , and sometimes we get very frustrated with things that are going on around us . We get overwhelmed with our schedules

, with our finances , with our concerns , with our families . We get overwhelmed with all of those things and we just don't take time to stop and listen to what God has to say . So today , my friends , I encourage you to just stop sometime during the day today and just listen . Listen to what God says to you .

And when you talk to your spouse or to your children , stop and listen to everything they have to say . Don't cut them off , don't start to answer before they're done talking . Just listen to what they have to say .

I believe that you will find your relationships are stronger and you'll have greater peace and love in your home simply from learning the ministry of listening . Have a great day , my friends . We'll talk tomorrow . Thank you for listening today and I invite you to join me Monday to Friday , right here , on Starting Right , with Danny Mac .