Having a Hearing Heart
The Biblical Art of Listening
Have you ever been really upset, or really excited, but nobody noticed or was interested? Or have you had some late-breaking news in your life, and while you were sharing others interrupted to tell their story? We’re told to confess our faults to one another, but do you have a place where it’s safe to be open and vulnerable? The world is full of tellers, but it is hard to find someone to listen.
On the other hand, have you shared God’s Word to someone in need, but they rejected the truth rather than taking it to heart? Or, have you had a friend who was hurting or grieving and you didn’t know what to do or say? Or someone in the midst of a misunderstanding and you couldn’t get them to see their error?
The Problem
The problem in all the cases above is usually a problem of not listening. Sometimes people do listen to our words, but we don’t feel heard—or cared for—because we could tell the listener didn’t really understand. On the other hand, sometimes we listen, but are too quick to give an answer because we think we understand the problem before we hear the other person’s heart.
A Hearing Ear is a Gift
Paul Tournier, a well-known Christian psychologist and author, said, “Listen to all the conversations of our world, those between nations as well as those between couples. They are for the most part dialogues of the deaf. Exceedingly few exchanges of viewpoints manifest a real desire to understand the other person.”
Hearing is not natural for most of us. God tells us that we are to be quick to hear, but slow to speak (Jas 1:19), and if we answer a matter before we hear, it is folly and shame (Prov. 18:13). Listening is so important that we are commanded ‘to hear,’ to listen. But it’s sometimes difficult to really listen. The Word also tells us that the Lord made the hearing ear and the seeing eye (Prov. 20:12). If we have hearing ears, it is a gift of God.
A Hearing Heart
To touch the heart or soul of another person, we need to go a step beyond listening. We need a hearing heart. That is what Solomon asked for from God when he asked for an understanding heart (1 Ki 3:9). Understanding means “to hear intelligently.” A hearing heart hears with wisdom and understanding. It seeks to understand the other person’s heart and to help that person apply God’s truth where it’s needed. God fulfilled Solomon’s request, and he became known as the wisest man that ever lived.
Caring for the Soul
People need to be heard and understood. They need someone to care for their soul. Listening with a hearing heart communicates love and care. Normal people living an ordinary life can have an extraordinary impact for the kingdom of God if they learn to hear from their hearts. Once someone has been heard, he/she is much more open to receiving the truth of God’s Word in his/her life.
For more information on a seminar, “A Hearing Heart: The Biblical Art of Listening” led by Robert and Kay Camenisch, contact Robert.
