Pay attention Part 1

"My son, pay attention to my words, listen carefully to my sayings."     

                                                                                                 Proverbs 4:20   CSB 

Many people drift off during a sermon, others may fall asleep. It's not what the speaker says that is boring, it is a lack of discipline. We need to pay attention. It's the same when people speak to us; many times we don't hear what they're saying, we only hear a part of the conversation. Again, there is a need to pay attention.

A counsellor listens with the third ear - they have trained themselves to hear what the person is really saying. When we meet up with people, they may want to 'talk' but, if they pick up that we're not listening properly, they may move on.

Sometimes people want to unload - vent their feelings but, through their embarrassment or not knowing if they can trust us, they say very little. Ask yourself, 'Can people trust me?' This means if someone tells you what is happening in their lives, will you keep it to yourself or be tempted to gossip about it? We should always treat people with confidentiality, unless of course if they're saying they plan to harm themselves or others. We need to balance this properly but, obviously we should never take risks; we should let the person know that we cannot keep this to ourselves and take appropriate action.

People in all walks of life need to unload and they may choose you. Could you handle this? We're not talking about you adopting the role of a qualified counsellor here, but being an everyday listener over a cup of coffee. Many have come to know Jesus this way and it can be very helpful. The world is a busy place full of busy people, so, someone needs to fill the role of being a listener.

Why not speak with God about it but firstly, ensure that you are willing to be a 'good listener' and you are able to 'pay attention' to what is being said, especially by God Himself. You may be a natural for this type of thing but, you'll never know until your try. Speak to God and if He gives you the open door to it, put it into action.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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