Active Listening

"To give one's attention to a sound. Take notice of and act on what someone says or make an effort to hear something. Be alert and ready to hear something."

This is how the Oxford Dictionary defines listening.

Listening, by definition, is active!

All too often we think of listening as a passive activity but genuine listening requires effort.

One of my favorite topics of study is finances. I have read and studied what the Bible says, read several books, and listened to speakers on this topic.

Over the years I’ve honed in on a few voices I’ve grown to trust.

Dave Ramsey is one of those voices.

I’ve listened to his Financial Peace videos several times, read his books, listened to him on the radio and podcasts and heard him speak live on several occasions.

Two things have happened.

For one, I’ve grown to recognize the sound of his voice.

It has become so familiar to me, I even hear his voice in my head when I’m reading materials he has written.

Familiarity over time has gained me the ability to recognize his voice.

In addition, I’ve grown to trust his voice.

This happened not only because I’ve listened with my ears, but I have also actively listened with an intent to “take notice of and act on what someone says”, as the dictionary so aptly states.

As my husband and I applied principles Dave talks about, we found they work! That grows my trust.

Through active listening I’ve learned to recognize and trust Dave Ramsey’s voice.

Applying this same principle to my walk with Jesus...

Let me take this same process and apply it to my personal relationship with Jesus.

Here’s what Jesus says:

“My sheep hear my voice,

and I know them,

and they follow me.”

John 10:27

Jesus says those who are His sheep will hear Him.

What an incredible and precious promise from Jesus.

So how do I learn to hear His voice and subsequently grow my trust in Jesus and His voice?

I apply the same process I used with Dave Ramsey’s voice.

A natural occurrence happens as I listen to any voice repeatedly.

I learn to recognize Jesus' voice more than all the other voices in the world and in my head as I listen to Him repeatedly.

My trust in His voice grows when I actively listen and act on His words.

To keep things simple (because clarity is helpful), let me go back to my example.

The reason I readily and easily recognize Dave Ramsey’s voice is because I’ve spent multiple hours listening to him speak. Therefore, now, when I’m listening to the radio or a podcast, I immediately notice his voice even if his name is not mentioned

It's that simple.

If I want to learn to recognize the voice of Jesus in my life, then I need to spend a lot of time actively listening – or as the dictionary states it – be alert and ready to hear something.

As I listened to Dave Ramsey and made application (active listening) my trust grew, causing me to spend less and less time listening to voices that contradict what I consider reliable financial advice. I don’t think Dave is perfect, but I’ve given his voice significant access to my financial decision-making process because I’ve found his voice to be trustworthy.

How much more is this true with the voice of Jesus!

As I've listened to Him over the years, I more readily and easily recognize His voice.

I give Him more and more access to my life because I’ve grown to hear Him as he speaks and trust what He says.

Bringing it home…

Sometimes we wonder if we are hearing the Lord or is it our own voice in our head?

Are we hearing God’s voice or misunderstanding His Words?

These are great questions and when asked honestly, God answers them. One way to insure we hear Him is to stop and consider how and to whom we listen.

We must take stock of who we listen to and how much attention we give those voices.

There are numerous competing voices in our world today – and many of them live in our heads.

If I listen to the news every day, that is the voice that will prevail in my head.

If I focus on social media for hours per day, it is the voice that will prevail in my head.

If I constantly listen to my broke neighbor offer financial advice, it is the voice that will prevail in my head.

And, if I listen to the sweet, strong, truthful voice of Jesus more than any other voice, it will become the voice that prevails in my head.

It really is that simple.

So what makes it difficult?

Let's look at two of the reasons.

The first reason is this principle is so simple, we often overlook it.

What is it about us that always expects the best things in life to be difficult?

If we will spend time listening to Jesus every day, His voice will be recognizable to us no matter what else is happening around us.

Simple.

Our second obstacle to listening to Jesus is we have an enemy.

He hates the voice of Jesus.

He knows if the voice of Jesus becomes the voice we listen to, we are a threat to him and his kingdom. He will do anything he can to distract us from actively listening to the voice of God.

Thriving in our walk with Jesus is directly connected to actively listening to His voice.

Over the next few weeks, we will take a closer look at ways we can listen and recognize His voice.

For today, let’s take a few minutes to stop and think about who we are currently listening to on a regular basis.

What voice is sounding the loudest in my head right now?

Is that the voice I want to prevail on my thinking and actions?

Which voice do I want to prevail above all other voices?

Let me leave you with a promise…

“Call to me and I will answer you,

and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

Jeremiah 33:3

May the faithful voice of Jesus speak to you this week.

Many blessings,

Kathy Ann