Active Listening

    Listening: it is not easy for some people. We talk a lot about listening with students. When you work with 3–5-year-olds listening is hard. Children don't like being told what to do. They want to do what they want. But that's not how the world works. Many times, we cannot do what we want to do whenever we want to do it.

   That's why we teach the skill of listening to students. We tell them their ears need to be open wide. Their mouths need to be zipped. Eyes are looking at who is talking. And their body is still. That's how you are an active listener. But listening doesn't just involve hearing.

   Listening involves doing as well. When we are asked to do something, we should do it right away all the way. That means we don't wait; we try to listen as quickly as possible. And we don't do things part of the way we complete what we are asked to do. 

   It sounds easy in certain ways, if you are used to listening, but how are you at listening to God? Romans 10:17 says: "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." That means to be listening to God we need to dig deep into his word, so we know what he is asking us to do. It means we need to be in communication with God. Communication is not a one-way thing. We don't just talk when we pray. We need to be actively listening for God’s nudging. No distractions. No talking. No doing other things. We are in silence and solitude.

   Then, when we do hear from God, we need to listen right away all the way. James 1:22 says: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Yes, we are to take time to be and be still. But if that's all we, do we are missing out on the mission God has given us. That's why it is so important to be actively listening to God.

   So, are you spending time with God each day? Are you actively listening to Him? If he calls you to do something, will you listen right away all the way?