Organizing the Inside – Day 236 Take Time to Listen

April 26, 2012 at 2:00 pm · Filed under Encouragement, Faith, Inspiration, Love, Peace, Relationship, Wisdom, Women's Ministry and tagged: Caring, Christianity, HolySpirit, Listening, Religion and Spirituality

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James 1:19 (NLT)

Slow down and listen.
It’s late Friday evening and you’re frustrated that you haven’t been able to head home from work yet. Your boss has now set you off with a comment he made about your schedule. You are all fired up and decide to not let him out of the office until he clarifies what he meant. Once you’ve calmed down you take time to listen to what he was trying to communicate earlier. Now you realize that the offensive comment (you thought you heard) was a complete misunderstanding.

The Holy Spirit is the Master Communicator.
Keeping the lines of communication with God open will help eliminate misunderstandings before they happen. The Holy Spirit really is our attitude regulator. As long as we keep our hearts in tune, we won’t unknowingly override His gentle promptings. O LORD, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you. Psalm 125:4 (NLT) Misunderstandings often occur when we are too busy to pay full attention to what’s being said. The stress and tension that miscommunication can create may put a strain on even the strongest relationships. When you are feeling overwhelmed or agitated from the daily demands of your responsibilities, take a quick moment of reflection before engaging in a conversation you expect may be frustrating. By reflecting on God’s Word, you will be better prepared to resist the temptation to “jump to conclusions.” Don’t allow your day to be hijacked by a would-be joy robber, when God has given you the mind of Christ. The minute you start to feel your peace slip away, take a minute to ask the Holy Spirit to help you pull yourself together. Don’t wait until you’ve responded inappropriately before you consider correcting your disposition.

Be fully present and always show respect for others by caring enough to listen.
Life was not meant to be lived on autopilot. Heighten your sensitivity to the plight of the lost. View almost every conversation as a possible opportunity for ministry, especially when dealing with the unsaved. Your anger or unkind disposition will never achieve God’s righteous purpose, so keep defensive attitudes at bay. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. James 1:20 (NLT) Inspire someone today by caring enough to take time to attentively listen.

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