Have you noticed how text messages and twitter have reduced our conversations to brief snippets and how our cell phone conversations are disjointed and distracted? Does it bother you that we don’t just sit and talk?
So often phone conversations are one sided; I have to hurry and tell you all about me and when you start to talk about you, I get distracted by doing dishes or folding laundry, etc. and I barely listen.
Important stuff like news stories have been reduced to snippets because the viewing public have shortened their attention spans and if they don’t catch my interest immediately I’m off to another channel. So everything appears to be a crisis or a breaking story.
Very few take time to develop sincere interest. The sad thing is I find that happens more often than I like to admit in my relationship with the Lord. The saying “quality not quantity” leaves us making excuses for our actions. But what’s wrong with quality and quantity. Spending time, our only unrenewable resource, with those we love especially our Heavenly Father is essential to a solid relationship.
Write a letter, leave a card, put a note in a lunch bag, sit down and focus when carrying on a phone conversation, turn the TV and other electronic devices off during meals and following, just visit. Let people know they are important.
There’s a true expression of love in being listened too. Listen without interrupting. This gives the person you’re listening to importance and value. It means that what they have to say is important to me and I’m not just waiting to jump in with “my” important words. There is a difference, a big difference, between hearing and listening. Hearing is the comprehension of sound but listening is the comprehension of the heart.
The Father always listens – He waits for each word and His desire is that we take time to listen to Him as well. Jesus relates this instruction to John in the book of Revelation about Christians and a lukewarm relationship. He wants us to spend time together with Him.
“Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together.” Revelation 3:20 CEV
Jesus is waiting to sit down and visit with us today. Will we make the time?