Listening In

Who has your ear? When that person opens their mouth, who is the one that makes you take notice? Obviously, the people that we choose to listen to determine a great deal in our lives. They help set our values, make our decisions,

Isaiah 55:3: “Come to me with your ears wide open.
Listen, and you will find life.” (NLT)

Surround yourself with godly men, men that speak God’s wisdom. Do this in several ways.

• Most obviously, be in your church this weekend, and be an active listener. For some of you, this may mean to take notes during the sermon. For others, it may be best to plan to listen to the sermon a second time later in the week and remind yourself of the truths you heard.
• Find godly men to seek out for counsel. Imitate their walk with the Lord, which will help you when you make choices. As Paul said, “you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” (I Corinthians 11:1, NLT)
• Be in the prayer service of your church. As you listen to wise men pray, you will learn. I gain insight about how to pray and how to view the situations and difficulties of life when I hear wiser and more senior believers praising and giving requests to the Lord.
• Fill your spare time with words of wisdom, instead of words of this world. I enjoy hearing the sports news from the previous day, but in the mornings especially, I am better prepared for my day by spending time hearing words of praise to God. In our day, we have innumerable blessings from the works of men who followed Christ. Listen to sermons, encourage yourself with the wise songs of praise.

Proverbs 22:17, 21: “Listen to the words of the wise;
apply your heart to my instruction.”

“In this way, you may know the truth
and take an accurate report to those who sent you.” (NLT)