The wife made a comment that other day. She said she has to read my posts to know who I am. Now I disagree, but that is ok as this is what she thinks.
Here is my take on the situation. My wife wants me to talk more, but I am not a big talker unless I have alcohol in me. However, when I do speak because you insist on it, then I expect you to listen and not only hear that I am saying stuff catching every 5th or 10th word.
I am using listening and hearing as two different words here. Listening in this case means you are actually paying attention to what is being said; while hearing is you hear mostly what is said. There is a phrase that talks about this very thing, “you hear, but you are not listening.” Now others my have a slightly different phrase, but that is typically how I heard it said
Too many of us are preparing our next words in response to what is being said that we often do not actually listen. The other side of that is we are so focused on the thing that probably 90%+ carry these days, ie. the cell phone, that we often only get about 10 to 20% of what is actually being said. Get off the dang phone when you want to talk.
There are many verses in the Bible mention or reference listening. Here are a few of my favorites:
James 1:22 New International Version (NIV)
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Jeremiah 29:12 New International Version (NIV)
12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
James 1:19 New International Version (NIV)
Listening and Doing
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
Luke 11:28 New International Version (NIV)
28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
If you think that I am perfect and listen to every word that someone says when they are talking to me, well you are mistaken. I too get distracted by the world or I am thinking about what I am going to say in response to what you are saying. So I end misunderstanding everything.
The only way we are going to over come this is through practice, patience, and a lot of help from God. So go pray and ask for help, I know I will.