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Voice of Eden (episode 147)

Mon. 25th November 2019

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_ You can't listen to what you think you know. 

Key passage: James 1:19

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

Dear friend, 

I'm happy that we know some things and we have gone through some things. I'm also glad that we have read books,  written exams, gone to school, traveled, attended seminars and we have a life going on for us. But all of these can be the reason why we are proud and don't listen to anyone. Experience they say is the best teacher, but it can be an enemy faith. Because we naturally don't listen to what we think we know. We assume that we know so much and listen to no one, especially God. God can say things that are not logically correct. 

*Heart check*

It has been said that we don't listen with the ear but with the heart. And then it draws my attention to the fact that listening is a posture, a position, an attitude or the state of a man's heart. Most of us don't do a good job when it comes it listening, because listening requires a lot of attention and humility,  and we are often so proud and distracted by a lot. We may end up listen to ourselves and others but not God. Or we end up telling God what we want Him to do. That is, we expect Him to listen to us but we won't listen to Him. 

Sometimes we think we are listening, only for us to quickly respond, put up a defense or just make a point, but that isn't listening. Everytime you respond quickly you failed at listening because every good listener is slow to respond. And is it true that we will have less conflicts, less misunderstanding, less quarrel, less wrong conclusions or wrong assumptions and less emotional drama if we would just listen. 

*You are lead by the one you listen to*

This is the major problem we have with listening. No one wants to be lead or told what to do. But the Bible never said we should listen to everyone, it only said everyone should be quick to listen. In that same chapter, it clearly told us what we should be quick to listen to. Because listening makes you a follower and everyone should be a good follower. Nobody wants to be a follower, but we forget that one quality of a good leader is being a good follower (quick to listen). Everybody should follow. 

From the beginning man was not designed to follow, he was made to be lead, rule, dominate and subdue. That is why listening is a hard job for a man. We don't want to be told what to do or how to do it. But it's amazing to find out that the first thing Jesus said to his disciples is follow me. In other words, He was saying, "let me lead you, position yourself behind, let me be the one you listen too" 

*Don't give audience to everyone*

What you listen to is what makes you you. We can sit for just a few minutes, have a conversation and I'll tell what your heart listens to. Not every word spoken should be listened to. You may have heard it, but don't listen to the voice. Sometimes we should not even give audience to ourselves. Because out of the many things we may have gone through we can begin to say things that are not true. 

#keepgrowing 

#voe

#Listen 

#goodmorning