Listening enables us to understand the other person. When we stop what we are doing and focus our attention on the other person, we can learn something. To learn something new, we must be fully present with the other person. As Hemminway said, “Most people never listen.” Too many conversations consist of politely waiting for the other person to shut up so that we can speak. Listening means engaging with the words the other person uses.
Listening applies to the way people relate to God. Even if Christians pray about a problem, solutions and actions accompany a request for God’s endorsement rather than humbly seeking God’s direction. Rather than allowing God to direct us, we too often look for a quick solution. Finding God’s direction means listening completely for God’s voice.
From “Crossing the Lines We Draw: Faithful Responses to a Polarized America” by Matthew Tennant – Judson Press