Stop, Look and Listen! These words, initially used for a railroad crossing safety ad campaign, can still be heard when teaching children to cross the roads. As we grow older, these words of wisdom give way to life’s demands. The alarm clock rings, and it’s Ready, Set, Go!
We’re off to the races, trying to meet life’s demands (family, spouse, children, friends, work, etc.) You get my point; there are never enough hours in the day. The demand for our time and attention is constant and we can’t always focus on what’s important. There are so many demands, we often forget to stop and, more importantly, listen; to each other and to God.
How many times has someone (at work or home) needed your attention? How many times have you heard your spouse or children say if you’d only listen? Now, try to imagine the number of times that God has looked down said, if they’d only, Listen!
I don’t have to imagine, I experienced it last month. I recently invited a guest to church. They willingly agreed because, paraphrasing their words, “I need to get my weekly fifteen-minute cleansing session.” The response didn’t sit well with me, and I felt the need to respond, but an inner voice kept me from saying anything.
On Sunday morning, we arrived at church. The announcement of activities and events was made, and we gave our offerings. The mood for worship was set by singing and giving praise to God. But, as we prepared for the message, the Pastor, as if he had just gotten a text message, paused for a brief moment and said:
“Before I begin, I have a message. If you’re here for your weekly 15-minute cleansing, you’re in the wrong place and you have the wrong motivation.”
You could have knocked me over with a feather. For a moment I was shocked, then I remembered where we were and, more importantly, Who was with us. It’s difficult to put into words but it felt like we had experienced a “burning bush” moment. We didn’t get burned but He certainly got our attention.
Jesus taught us that the greatest commandments were to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbor as we love our self (Matthew 22:37, 39). Listening is more than an act; it is a gift, an expression of love. Richard Moss, visionary author, speaker and thinker in the field of conscious living and inner transformation, explains:
“The greatest gift you can give another is the purity of your attention.”
When we take the time to listen and understand others, we can choose not to be restricted or driven by our minds or ambitions; but be motivated by the needs of others and the depths of our heart. In The Art of Listening: A Key Virtue for Christians, author Jono Elderton explains:
“Listening is an act of love that builds connections, gains wisdom, and shows Christ’s compassion.”
Listening is hard work! That’s why so many have modeled it for us throughout the Bible. Abraham, Mary, Samuel, Noah, and Jonah (it took a whale but, eventually!) listened to God. Of course, Jesus throughout His ministry demonstrated the importance of listening to forgive sin, heal the body, and seek God’s will through prayer.
How do we start? The first step to effectively listen, is to be silent. In fact, the word “LISTEN” contains the same letters as the word “SILENT” (referred to as an anagram). Effective listening requires that we silence, not only our environment (television, radio, telephone, computer, etc.) but also our minds. We must devote ourselves to being present in the moment focusing our mind, body and spirit to the needs of others. Matthew 6:24 (NLV) tells us:
“No one can have two bosses. He will hate the one and love the other.
Or he will listen to the one and work against the other.”
Listening, the kind modeled by Jesus, is hard work and isn’t something we can achieve on our own. It requires being open to the words and counsel of the people that love us enough to tell us about the things that we can’t, or won’t, see in ourselves; often the same things we frequently criticize others about (Matthew 7:3-4). Honestly, learning the truth about ourselves can hurt but the lie is much worse.
I must confess that, like many, I, too, struggle with listening. My attention is often divided between the distractions and listening. My Pastor’s words (which I initially believed were meant for someone else) were a reminder to me also. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting but thankfully, I’m still being molded.
Challenge: For the next 30 days, let’s focus on listening. Let’s begin by:
- First, silencing our thoughts when praying or reading God’s words. Listening actively, and intentionally, for His voice.
- Secondly, focusing our attention to those with which we are connecting. Let’s turn off the television or radio, put down the cell phone and walk away from the computer and listen.
We don’t need a burning bush to remind us that the voice of God can always be heard, if we only Stop, Look and Listen! I’ve committed to returning to the wisdom of Stop, Look and Listen! I invite you to join me on this journey.
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Gilbert Camacho serves as President, Organizational Leadership Solutions, a management consulting firm, based in Melbourne, Florida. Gilbert is a certified Lead Like Jesus Facilitator with extensive leadership experience in the private, public and non-profit sectors. He has been a contributing author to the Lead Like Jesus Blog for almost 3 years writing monthly on such issues as servant leadership, accountability, trust and integrity. Gilbert s a sought-after Speaker, Trainer, and Executive Coach. Gilbert is a Registered Shared Neutral (Mediator) with the State Supreme Court of Georgia. He recently retired an Associate Director for the Human Resources Office at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. Gilbert has been married to his best friend, Annie, for almost 40 years. Together they have raised two beautiful daughters, Holley and Logan.
