To listen, we need to make a conscious effort not to just hear what people are saying but to take it in, digest it and understand. Not only does listening enhance our ability to understand and make us a better communicator, but it also makes the experience of speaking more enjoyable to other people. However, too often we listen to the wrong person’s advice and when we do, we can end up going in the wrong direction.
Have you been faced with considering which advice to take? Allow me to suggest that you listen to the right voice when considering which direction is best. In the course of a day or in one moment, many voices demand your attention, and some voices that sound like experts can be dead wrong.
Remember, you had better know which voice to listen to, because if you look only at your circumstances, you will become disoriented. An unexpected phone call, a floundering relationship, a lost job, or a sick child can make north look like south and east look like west. When that happens, it is easy to lose your bearings, jump to conclusions, and end up on the wrong path.
The Bible teaches us this: “Whether you turn right or left, your ears will hear a voice saying, this is the way: walk it.” There is only one true source of wisdom and truth, and you need to recognize that when you ask the Lord which turn to take in life. You should listen and follow his direction. You don’t need to know every detail in advance; that is not how God works.
Often, he doesn’t show us the big picture because we would be overwhelmed and think it was impossible. He wants to develop in you an unshakeable trust in his character and goodness, an acceptance that in order to fulfill his plan for you, you must depend on his wisdom and strength.
More often than not, success in life comes from listening to the right voice. It is said that to listen closely and reply well is the highest perfection we can attain in the art of conversation. To keep ethical decisions in check, one must rely on the belief that God is at work in the lives of humanity when we pray for guidance. It is through contemplative prayer that we can keep ourselves from being pulled from one urgent issue to another and from becoming entangled in the wrong voices speaking to us. So Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Chaplain Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
