Week 5: Listening to the Spirit
He Who Has Ears to Hear—Not Afraid to Listen
Week 5, Day 6
A gentleman went to the doctor and asked for advice on how to convince his wife to come in and have her hearing checked. The husband’s frustration with his wife’s lack of attention to what he had to say was growing, and he needed some assistance. The doctor recommended that the man, upon returning home, stand about 15 feet away from his wife and ask her a question. If she didn’t answer, stand about 10 feet away. And if there was still no response, move to about 5 feet away and repeat the question.
The gentleman decided this was a good strategy and agreed to try it. “Thanks, doc! Hopefully, I’ll be bringing her in for that hearing check later this week.” When he got to the house, the husband greeted his wife and then stood the fifteen feet away and asked, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” Nothing. Moving to 10 feet away, he repeated the question. “Honey, what’s for dinner?” Still nothing. Now standing five feet away, after restating his question, his wife turned around and responded, “For the third time, we’re having rice and beans. Now how did that doctor appointment go?”
When we have frustrations in communication, we react, thinking that the other person is the one with the hearing problem. We read the verses admonishing, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear...” But our response is, “I wish sister so-and-so would open her ears to the truth.” However, the first assessment should always be to check our own ears. No matter how true the statement or good the news, we can fall into the trap of seeking only to listen to what our itching ears want to hear.
2 Timothy 4:2-4 (ESV)
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Today’s prayer for listening is that the Spirit will open our ears and our heart to hear exactly what He wants us to hear. You may be tempted to pray that prayer over someone else—that God will open his/her ears and heart. It is a valid prayer, but we can only control our own listening, not anyone else’s. Why do we avoid listening?
I admit that, at times, I am afraid to listen. I avoid going to the Word, fearful of what God may reveal in my life or the pain of conviction that may come from what I hear.
Yet there is a difference between feeling convicted and being condemned. When we don’t hear what our itching ears want to hear, rather listen to what God needs to say, our toes may get stepped on. But these words are spoken out of love, for our own good. When the Spirit came on the apostles at the Day of Pentecost, they were inspired to speak as God directed. The Spirit equipped them to speak in the languages of all of the people present. And even though the message was convicting, what did it lead the
people to?
Acts 2:36-41 (ESV)
36 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you
crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Repentance. An opportunity to begin anew. May we not cling to what our itching ears want to hear, but rather listen for the truth—even if it means we are cut to the heart.
Additional notes, thoughts, or drawings from listening to the Spirit:
We would love to hear from you! Please share with us what you are hearing and how you are growing in your devotion to listening.
This blog post is taken from the book Called to Listen: Forty Days of Devotion. To order a copy of this book, please visit our website and invite a friend to participate in the study with you. The book includes additional guides and questions to be reviewed in a small group context weekly.