So then, my beloved brethren,, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

James 1:9

We often say, “Did you hear what I said?” How often do we ask ourselves, “Did I hear what you said?”  How often do we really listen when those we love have something to say to us?

Real listening involves more than just hearing. First, listening takes time. When we give our time to others, over a period of  time they’ll get the message that we care. Listening also take heart. Our ears will often miss what our hearts won’t. Our loved ones  are sometimes afraid to express true feelings because of fear of pain or rejection.  Our hearts can often accept things our ears will reject. Finally, listening takes looking. They say our eyes are the window to the soul. Often our ears and hearts miss what our eyes may catch.

Just as we must train ourselves to listen to our loved ones on earth, we must train ourselves to listen to God. He speaks through His Word, His creation, ans His people. Let’s take time to listen with our ears and our hearts and to look with our eyes at what God has done for us.

Thought:  I will take time today to listen with my ears, heart, and eyes.