Tues, 15-Apr-2014 - Undivided Attention

These are the characters that stand for "listen" in Chinese, and this is what it is broken down.  To truly listen, you must participate - YOU.  You must first listen with your ears.  You have two of them.  Amazingly, there is no portion of these characters that tell you to listen with your mouth, right?  You also listen with your eyes, because you not only hear with your ears, but see with your eyes and with the eyes, you can focus.  And to truly listen attentively, you do it with your heart.

To give undivided attention, YOU must participate with your heart, ears, and eyes.  As I reflect on this, it makes me think that I still am not too good of a listener and must really focus.  Do I give God my undivided attention?  Sometimes I honestly and sincerely think I do, but when I step back, realize that is not the case.

Sometimes I listen so desperately when I want things to happen, but I fail to see how God is speaking to me.  Or, my heart desires something else or maybe I'm listening to the wrong things, or seeing the wrong things.  The heart, ears, and eyes must all be directed and focused in the right direction, in conjunction with each other.

One of the things my husband attempts to help me with is to really listen and not get distracted by the many things that come through my mind.  So active listening really takes a great deal.

What happens when we really listen with undivided attention?  I wonder how our lives will change because if we listened in such a manner, I would presume that we would be moved to action rather than live in procrastination or stagnation, or just limping by.

God, I want YOUR heart to be my heart.  I know You God, You speak every day.  Forgive me, because I let all the cares of the world distract me from You.  You alone deserve our undivided attention.  That doesn't mean we have to go live as monks or nuns, but as we go through our day whether at work, home, or elsewhere, that our thoughts, our actions dwell on the true living God and we want our actions, thoughts to reflect who God is, not the egotistical self.