Swift to Hear

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who obviously wasn’t listening? One of my biggest challenges as a teacher is helping my students learn how to actually listen. After all, a student who isn’t listening isn’t learning.

But what about me? How often do I let my thoughts drift when I should be listening, or internally plan out what I will say in reply, instead of actually caring about what someone else is saying?  

The Bible has a lot to say about listening. I’ve been studying through Proverbs recently, specifically looking for what it says about our words. As I worked my way through the first few chapters, I quickly noticed that the theme of hearing came up over and over. In fact, the very first chapter gives us this concise statement:

“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.” (Proverbs 1:5-6)

Do you want to be wise? Do you want to increase your learning? Do you want to understand more? Then it is necessary to actually listen. I have been especially challenged about this matter of listening by James 1:19:

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

That first part, swift to hear, is simple, but can be difficult. I am easily distracted and tend not to listen to others as well as I ought. The book of Proverbs addresses this as well:

“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.” (Proverbs 4:20-21)

There are several aspects to truly listening: mind, ear, eyes, and heart. When we are actively listening, all of these things will be engaged in the task of attending to and receiving what is being said. If our minds are not focused, we are not really listening. God gives us His focused attention when we talk to Him, therefore we should extend that same loving courtesy to others.

The physical attitude of a listener communicates an active desire to hear all of what is being said. The listener’s ear is inclined, perhaps even leaning forward: whatever is needed in order to hear well, that is what a listener does, because he or she values the person speaking.

We ought to care about what others say to us, because God cares about what we say to Him. Think of all the silly little problems, fears, insecurities, and complaints we bring to God each day. If our infinite, God can take time to listen to us, we can certainly take time to listen to others, even when what they have to say to us seems petty or unimportant.

Eye contact is a part of the “inclining” attitude of a listener. I’m sure you have experienced the awkwardness of speaking to someone whose gaze is fixed on something else.  What our eyes are seeing claims our attention. If we are going to listen to those around us, we need to be careful to focus our eyes as well as our minds on them.

Our hearts also should be engaged in the act of listening. Whether or not we agree with the person to whom we are listening, our hearts should be open to what they have to say. It is the heart that drives the response of kindness and compassion which ought to characterize our speech. As Colossians 4:6 tells us,

“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” (Colossians 4:6)

No matter what our natural inclination might be, God’s grace is sufficient to enable us to respond kindly and compassionately to anyone, no matter how unloving or unkind their words to us may have been. Rudeness in others does not justify a rude response from the Christian.

These aspects of true listening can help us be a good listener to the people God brings into our lives, but have you considered that they also are aspects of how well we listen to God?

When we pray and read our Bibles, are our minds focused? Is our physical attitude one of listening? Are our eyes focused on other things that might distract? Are our hearts involved in the action of listening to what God wants to teach us? Are we willing to accept and obey what He says? Are we swift to hear?

“Apply thine heart to instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge”

(Proverbs 23:12)