"Fellowship with Jesus Christ is...a commitment to listen with him to God's love without fear."
I wish I was a better listener. Now sometimes I am very attentive, particularly if it is something that holds my interest or has some specific application for my life. There are however, other times when I get distracted, am physically or emotionally weary, or maybe just bored and disinterested. My grandfather was hard of hearing and if not for his hearing aids, would have been unable to carry on conversations. Of course, he also had an ability that others of us did not possess to turn the hearing aids off when he did not want to hear the conversation. His "selective listening" was often a source of both humor and frustration for those who tried to communicate with him.
Do we listen selectively for the voice of God? It would seem at times that we strain to hear some words, while intentionally "turning a deaf ear" to others. We do not honor God through this selective listening. We cannot only listen for what we want to hear. To listen obediently is to listen without filter, and as a result to recognize that when we do, "we are invited to be no less compassionate than Jesus himself." (p. 122) Are you listening?
JKA
No comments:
Post a Comment