| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship” Our Bible verse for today: “Be still, and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10 Our thought for today: “Listen deeply” Most people are not very good listeners. Usually, they’re just waiting for the other person to stop talking so they can start. In “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People” Stephen Covey notes that “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” You can tell when someone isn’t really listening to you because they don’t maintain eye contact, they interrupt you before you are done speaking, and they quickly shift the subject back to whatever it is they wanted to talk about and away from what you were trying to say. Covey teaches that one of the habits that distinguishes highly successful people from all others is that they have learned to be good listeners. The reason good listening skills is one of the habits of highly successful people is because people love to feel as if they are being listened to. It makes them feel valued. Also, we learn from others when we really listen to them, and one of the reasons successful people are successful is because they do learn from others. Good listening skills are important in order to have healthy relationships with other people, but they are absolutely essential for a good relationship with God. But if it’s true that most of us are not good listeners in our communications with other people, it’s even truer of our relationship with God. Most of us spend much more time talking to God than we do listening to Him. But that’s backwards. It’s more important for me to hear from God than for God to hear from me. In Psalm 46:10 we are called to quietly sit before God and just listen. When was the last time you did that? When was the last time you withdrew to an isolated and quiet place and simply sat still before God? No other people, no radio or television, no music, no cell phone, no nothing. Just you and God in the deep solitude of peace and quiet. Periodically we all need times like that. And for most of us, our lives are so busy that if we don’t actually schedule quiet time with the Lord and then guard it (as we noted in yesterday’s devotional about guarding our wells), then we can pretty much count on it being intruded upon and stolen from us. Our quite times with God need to be intentional and protected. Train yourself to be a good listener. Listen attentively and deeply to other people, but even more so, train yourself to listen deeply to God. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville |
| Copyright © 2023 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you requested to be included in the Daily Devotional email reader group. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571 |
- Comment
- Reblog
-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Oak Hill Baptist Church 