Or maybe talking isn’t your speciality…but neither is listening. I don’t just mean hearing what someone has to say, but actually listening to what they have to say. Understanding where they are coming from. Having the capability to say, “So what you are saying is…” and then sharing what you interpreted from that conversation.
I’m a talker. And as an aspiring speaker, I like getting in all the practice I can get. But, I also like to consider myself a listener. I just don’t think I do that very well sometimes. In my walk with God, I have often caught myself doing most of the talking and not much listening. I began to realize that that needed to change.
The Holy Spirit began to whisper to my heart (in those moments I was actually listening) and challenging me to just “be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10). I think God can use that verse in a number of ways. For me, He spoke it in the most literal and practical way…sit down and be quiet.
- A random chair I found during my morning jog at Mission Beach.
I was reading a blog by Sara E. Koontz and I love how she put it:
“I was still talking with God on a regular basis, because talking is my specialty. But, my dear sweet friend, I was not taking time to listen to Him. I was a terrible coffee date because I was dominating the conversation.” -Blog Post: True Confessions of a Distracted Worshiper
So because this blog post is about talking less and listening more, I am going to end with this; next time you pray, try sitting quietly and just waiting on the Holy Spirit to talk. Make sure you have nothing to distract you. Have your favorite pen and journal nearby and just sit and wait for God to speak.
You may only have to wait a minute. You may have to wait 30 mins. Then again, you might just get up and walk away feeling silly. There’s no real time frame but, the key is in not giving up. Try it. See what happens.
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