Listen
Often time’s people make the mistake of thinking that speaking and communicating is the greatest skill in sharing the gospel. Naturally one needs to speak and communicate to share the gospel. However, I firmly believe speaking is not the greatest skill we need. Again, we need to speak to share the gospel. Unfortunately, our speaking can often be more detrimental and harmful to the effort of communicating the gospel than beneficial and helpful.
We might be in danger of coming across to the hearer as arrogant and boastful. We may present ourselves as uncaring and unloving. They might assume that we can care less of who they truly are and where they have been. We may present ourselves to them as boastfully believing that our argument is all that matters and what they have to say is unimportant and insignificant. They will then think that we simply want them to sit down, shut up, and listen.
The fact is our side, the side of the gospel, is the only side that matters. It is the only side that can save and transform. The fact also is that the gospel does, unashamedly, need to be spoken and communicated. But, often times, if not most times, we need to be silent for just a little while and listen. The bible tells us in James 1:19, “But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak”
We don’t need to listen with the wheels in our head turning thinking of what we are going to say next-but truly listening. We need to be quick to hear, and slow to speak, even if the speaking is in our mind. How often have you heard an argument along this line? One arguer will say, “I think the wall needs to be painted pink and polka dotted.” Then the other arguer will say, “You are a fool. I think we should paint the wall with polka dots and pink.” Did they not just say the exact same thing? Of course they did. What then is the problem? They weren’t listening. Instead they were thinking of how they were going to counteract in their argument.
If people are going to listen to us, I mean truly listen to us, they are going to have to trust us. They will only trust us when they know that we care about them. If they don’t think we care, they’re not going to listen. We demonstrate that we truly care when we lend them an ear. When we listen, truly listen, to their hurts, heartaches, and hang-ups, we gain their trust. Now they know we care. What would you think of your doctor if he came into the room writing prescriptions and ordering tests before you ever told him why you were there? I would find another doctor.
Another advantage in listening is that you find out who people are. When you listen you find out where they have been. You can also discover people’s mindsets and beliefs when you listen. We gain a wealth of information when we listen. Now that we have listened we now know what to prescribe them. Of course we prescribe the gospel. But, we are now better equipped to prescribe the gospel on a personal level. To those without fathers we can introduce the Father to the fatherless, to those who feel unloved we introduce the God of love, to those who are ashamed, we introduce the long suffering God of grace and mercy.
If they have been lied to and believe the lies of false doctrines we are better equipped to counter act the lies with the truth. And, we know the truth will set them free. Now, we also have leverage. We can say, “Now that I have attentively listened to you, give me your ear and let me share my side.” Once we have the opportunity to share our side our ears have now better equipped our mouths to share the very truth that can and will overcome the lies. Now that we have been quick to hear, and slow to speak, we are better equipped to speak.
Listening is a skill. It takes practice. We need to not only listen to their words but what’s behind the words. Don’t put words in their mouth but try to understand why they are saying the things that they are saying. What’s motivating their message that they are sharing. As we practice this skill we need to also to pray that God will give us ears to hear; spiritual ears that listen to the spirit leading from within. When we listen with spiritual ears we will then speak spiritual truths that penetrate the hardest of hearts. Rusty Kuhn
We might be in danger of coming across to the hearer as arrogant and boastful. We may present ourselves as uncaring and unloving. They might assume that we can care less of who they truly are and where they have been. We may present ourselves to them as boastfully believing that our argument is all that matters and what they have to say is unimportant and insignificant. They will then think that we simply want them to sit down, shut up, and listen.
The fact is our side, the side of the gospel, is the only side that matters. It is the only side that can save and transform. The fact also is that the gospel does, unashamedly, need to be spoken and communicated. But, often times, if not most times, we need to be silent for just a little while and listen. The bible tells us in James 1:19, “But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak”
We don’t need to listen with the wheels in our head turning thinking of what we are going to say next-but truly listening. We need to be quick to hear, and slow to speak, even if the speaking is in our mind. How often have you heard an argument along this line? One arguer will say, “I think the wall needs to be painted pink and polka dotted.” Then the other arguer will say, “You are a fool. I think we should paint the wall with polka dots and pink.” Did they not just say the exact same thing? Of course they did. What then is the problem? They weren’t listening. Instead they were thinking of how they were going to counteract in their argument.
If people are going to listen to us, I mean truly listen to us, they are going to have to trust us. They will only trust us when they know that we care about them. If they don’t think we care, they’re not going to listen. We demonstrate that we truly care when we lend them an ear. When we listen, truly listen, to their hurts, heartaches, and hang-ups, we gain their trust. Now they know we care. What would you think of your doctor if he came into the room writing prescriptions and ordering tests before you ever told him why you were there? I would find another doctor.
Another advantage in listening is that you find out who people are. When you listen you find out where they have been. You can also discover people’s mindsets and beliefs when you listen. We gain a wealth of information when we listen. Now that we have listened we now know what to prescribe them. Of course we prescribe the gospel. But, we are now better equipped to prescribe the gospel on a personal level. To those without fathers we can introduce the Father to the fatherless, to those who feel unloved we introduce the God of love, to those who are ashamed, we introduce the long suffering God of grace and mercy.
If they have been lied to and believe the lies of false doctrines we are better equipped to counter act the lies with the truth. And, we know the truth will set them free. Now, we also have leverage. We can say, “Now that I have attentively listened to you, give me your ear and let me share my side.” Once we have the opportunity to share our side our ears have now better equipped our mouths to share the very truth that can and will overcome the lies. Now that we have been quick to hear, and slow to speak, we are better equipped to speak.
Listening is a skill. It takes practice. We need to not only listen to their words but what’s behind the words. Don’t put words in their mouth but try to understand why they are saying the things that they are saying. What’s motivating their message that they are sharing. As we practice this skill we need to also to pray that God will give us ears to hear; spiritual ears that listen to the spirit leading from within. When we listen with spiritual ears we will then speak spiritual truths that penetrate the hardest of hearts. Rusty Kuhn
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