The Power of Listening👂

If we listened more than we talked, imagine what we would learn.  We often think that we must contribute something when we are around our family, or our coworkers, or our friends.  We believe talking is the only thing we can offer, but it's not.  It's not.  We Can Listen and listening can be a greater service than speaking.  And we realize, sometimes the hard way, people who are poor listeners will find few are willing to come to them with useful information.  A German theologian once said…

Many people are looking for an ear that will listen.  He who can no longer listen to his brother would soon no longer be listening to God either.

During your next conversation today, remember that.  Listening is to hearing what speaking is to talking.  Hearing is a natural response of your ears to sound, but listening is using your ears — It’s active listening.  It involves your mind, it absorbs you whole heartedly, and you begin to understand what the other person is really saying.  That is really the way to go.  It says so in Proverbs 19:27…

Ceased to hear instruction and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

In fact, President Lyndon Johnson said the same thing, but with a little more color he put…

You ain't learning anything when you're talking, so listen twice as much as you talk.  Others will hear twice as much of what you say.

Make this week an extraordinary week.