The Courage to Listen
Day 334
Dr. Larry Crabb describes this scenario: “You’re sitting
next to somebody in church or maybe in a small-group setting. It’s coffee break
time and the person obviously is distressed. Your initial inclination is ‘Let
me see if I can’t go have coffee with somebody else, because if I stay with
this person who is hurting, I won’t know what to do. Let me go chat with some
buddies and some friends where I feel adequate.’”
He continues, “We tend to underestimate the profound power
of listening. We think of that as
anemic: ‘Well, at least I listed, but what good does that do?’ I think the
biggest lesson I’ve learned as a friend or as a husband or as a counselor is
this: It isn’t what I know or my competence that makes the difference; it’s
when I find the courage to be there in the presence of God, that’s where the
difference is found.”
Be courageous; do not stay where you feel comfortable and
safe. Take a chance for someone else today and listen. Listen to God urging you
forward and listen attentively to someone who is hurting. When a person sees
that you are truly listening, that person feels valued. This validation brings
deep healing.
“He who answers before listening – that is his folly and his
shame” (Proverbs 18:13).
God, I feel very
inadequate sometimes. Teach me that with You in my life, I am complete, and my
presence is needed to help others who are hurting. Amen.
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