Have you ever noticed how much other people talk?
Do you ever just move away from someone because they talk too much?
Have you recently stopped following someone on facebook because they are talking/posting too much?
You can’t stand what they are saying, is it too much content?
How in this world of over-talking, overly verbose humans do we as Christian women stand apart?
Steven Covey said, “Most of us don’t listen with the intent to understand, most of us listen with the intent to reply.” Is this true of us? A wise man wrote, the reading of Psalms will guide you in your relationship with God. The reading of the Proverbs will aid you in your relationships with other people. Here is a small sampled of wise words from the proverbs:
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. Proverbs 21:23
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Proverbs 18:2 (Let that soak in right.)
Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. Proverbs 17:21
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. Proverbs 21:23
The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin. Proverbs 10:18
Eccles 3:7 says, A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
God calls us to use our ears to hear not to formulate a response. All of us have ears but some of us don’t listen. God especially likes us to listen when times are getting rough. In Revelation God says, for those who have ears, let him hear, at the end of each message to the 7 churches (2:17, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22). He said it 7 times.
Is this coincidence or is this God’s providence and faithfulness to His people. This seems more like a command than a request. He says it again an eighth time in Revelation 13:9, at the end of the warning of the coming of the antichrist comes. He calls us to listen, He calls us to depend on Him for words when we don’t have words, He calls us to be vessels of light and truth.
In order to endure persecution patiently and remain faithful and we must use our ears to hear.
Let’s be women who love with compassion using our ears to hear.