Listen

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Remember this: The Lord never gives private illumination to favored Christians. God's way of communication descends from divine illumination through His Word, for the development of spiritual character in His saints. Yet the Lord speaks, definitely and persuasively, to those who care to listen.
From Devotions for a Deeper Life by Oswald Chambers

There is so much to learn from listening. Proverbs 1:5 "A wise man will hear, and will increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel..." A spirit of listening goes a long way to communicate an attitude of humility. A person who is humble, and who loves to listen, may show these characteristics:
1. He is more interested in hearing what other people have to say than in having them listen to him. Humility brings respect for others and for their thoughts.
2. He places a modest value on his own opinions - he admits that other people often have better ideas than he does.
3. He willingly admits when he doesn't know something. If he doesn't understand something, he is open about it.
4. He is willing to question his own position on an issue.
-
The Fallacy Detective by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn
Good book on reasoning. I waited to buy this book because most sites recommend it for middle school, but we all have been reading it. The chapters are short, easy to grasp, they put lots of examples in story form. It is expensive, but worth it. On Sunday nights there is a show called Undercover Boss. Have you seen it? It is good. I shared with the kids about this past Sunday night's boss that went undercover. He was the CEO of 7-eleven. It was so relevant to this chapter we were reading on listening. The basis of this show is that the big boss goes out undercover and works in a entry level position in his own company. So this guy was being "trained" to serve coffee, deliver food, make the food, etc. Each show I have seen almost brings me to tears. No kidding. It is so good. Anyways, the big boss gets a chance to ask questions, LISTEN to the employees, and in the end makes huge changes. Most of the bosses I have seen make a commitment to change the way they have been doing things because of their experience. I told the kids I would let them stay up late next week to watch it. No, I do not have tevo, so they will be up until 10:00 p.m. So far, the show has been worth staying up for. Back to listening, it is a skill. I will add this to the list of traits we will work on! In my own spiritual life it has to be disciplined for me. I have to wake up at a certain time in order to have my literal "quiet time" with God. My quiet time has turned into listening time. Sometimes my quiet was all me asking, now I consciously try to be still and listen (still pray but designate time for listening). It does fill your soul!