Listening Is Caring
I’m guessing you have probably heard the saying, “Talking is sharing. Listening is caring.” I hear that every now and then, and recently I saw it posted on a sign somewhere. Unlike many other well-known sayings, this one really is on target.
In one of the devotionals that I sent out to my subscriber list I wrote about a rough time in my life that I was going through and how God’s Word had been a great comfort to me. When I wrote that devotional I had no idea that I would get such a warm response from readers. I had calls from friends and emails from readers that I don’t even know personally. Many of them told me that they were there for me if I wanted to talk to someone.
Just knowing that they took the time to email or call, and that they cared how I was doing, really meant a lot to me. By doing that I knew that my friends and readers had truly listened to the message of my devotional, and they cared enough to show it.
The world we live in is always hectic and busy, and it’s easy for us to have trouble listening to others. We tend to get distracted by what is going on and by the concerns in our own lives and we don’t stop to think about how we can help others just by listening. Most of us our guilty of this, but it is something that we can work on.
When you listen to someone else it shows that you care and that you value them. You show that you care enough to give them your time and attention, and that can mean a lot. Listening helps to build stronger, deeper relationships, and it brings two people closer together. By listening to others we can show them God’s love.
Throughout Jesus’s life, the Bible records stories that involve Him listening to others. He was a great listener that cared about others enough to give them His attention, even though there were plenty of other things calling out for His attention. In one case Jesus spoke with a Jewish leader named Nicodems, who asked Jesus some questions about His teachings.
John 4 records that just a short time later, Jesus sat in a foreign country and listened to a sinful woman who came to draw water at the well where He rested. Religion, gender, social position, and moral character didn’t matter to Jesus. He listened and He cared. He is the role model we are to follow.
To all of you how reached out to me, thank you. The fact that you were willing to listen really meant a lot to me. I want to let you know that the situation has been resolved.
God, I thank You for the wonderful friends that you have placed in my life. I ask that you would help me to be a good listener and to show the love that these friends have shown to me during my difficult times.
Ann Shorb is a counselor and the founder of Christian Counseling and Educational Services in Hanover, PA. They provide a variety of services including premarital counseling, Christian marriage counseling, family counseling and much more.
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