![]() ![]() She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Bible scholars like to teach about how Mary got it right. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. Let me share a story with you from Luke 10:38-42Īs Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. We need to ask ourselves, “Am I listening to respond or am I listening to listen?” I find myself in two categories when I am listening to someone speak.Right now, people want to be heard and validated (even if/when you don’t agree). Sometimes, what someone is saying doesn’t always merit a response. Because of this, we need to be mindful in how we listen. We don’t realize that we are influenced by outside perspectives, traditions, and narratives that taint the words coming from someone else’s mouth. We have agendas and histories and cultures that define how we respond to what people say. The thing is, we all have some sort of rhythm we live by when we listen to people talk. Instead of learning and growing, I stay stagnant in my stubbornness. They are wrong because everything I’ve ever known tells me they are wrong. So, instead of listening further, I shut down because they are obviously wrong. I know what they are saying holds at least a little bit of truth, but it goes against my own narrative and that makes me uncomfortable. The third way I shut down when listening to someone else is when they challenge me. Can we just be done and move on please? I don’t want to sit in this discomfort anymore. I have heard it loud and clear, over and over. The second is what I refer to as, “eye roll listening.” I just want whatever they are saying to be over with. I can’t wrap my head around what they are telling me, so I stuff it down and pretend I didn’t hear it. I don’t want to hear what they are telling me. Think, plugging my ears singing, “lalalalalala” like a child. (Btw, I know there are MANY more than 3 ways) Through this mess and the state of our world, I’ve identified three areas where I need to grow as a listener. What I am finding, however, is that right now it’s not my turn on the mic. ![]() ![]() I don’t know about you, but this is tough for a talker like me. Use our two ears and close our one mouth. In times like these, we must learn to listen and listen well. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |