Take Time to Listen

Dear Friends,

When you believe God has placed a desire in your heart or given you a dream, it can be really hard to wait patiently for his timing.  Then, when you sense that he is telling you now you can go ahead, it can be easy to get carried away with it.  At least, I can find that so and when God says "Yes" I just want to get on with it straight away so that it happens tomorrow at the earliest, not months ahead! 

Jason has been with me on this journey and I was talking with him recently about what I felt God was telling me was the next stage.  Before I had got very far, he said one sentence which I interpreted as meaning that he didn't think now was the right time, and I thought he was being negative and unsupportive.  It's amazing how quickly your brain starts to process your thoughts, sift through them all and come up with a response almost before the sentence is out of the other person's mouth.  I was just about to either react badly to what Jason was saying or I was going to put my fingers in my ears, as it were, and not listen to anything more he had to say.  After all he was wrong and I was right and he didn't have a clue.  Have you ever been there or done that?  But somehow, God managed to quickly get my attention, stop me in my tracks and told me not to say anything, but just listen to Jason, be open to what he had to say and hear him out before I responded.

As I listened to Jason I realised that I had completely misunderstood what he was saying and I was so glad God had stopped me from responding too quickly.  What in fact Jason was saying was that he was in total support of what I felt God was calling me to do, but that there was actually another, possibly better way of going about it.  Rather than rushing into it, I needed to plan and organise it properly, so that the outcome would be the best one it could be.  He was able to look at it objectively because he was a little removed from it and he was able to give me some good advice and words of wisdom.  He was even willing to actively support me to make it happen. 

God knew what he was doing when he brought Jason us together.  I have certain gifts and abilities that Jason doesn't have, and Jason has many that I don't have. Both are needed in this undertaking, so we actually complement each other very well.  Jason was happy to use his gifts and abilities to help me see my dream become a reality.

This experience has reminded me once again of the verse in James 1:19 "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." (NLT) 

I believe God has placed people in each of our lives who have wisdom to share with us if only we will stop and take the time to listen.  It's also about being open to what someone tells us, rather than closing our mind just because it may not fit with our way of thinking.  Proverbs 19:20 "Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life." (NLT)  Of course, we also need discernment as we decide whether what they have just said to us is in fact in line with what God is saying, and we can have this discernment if only we ask God for it.  "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking." James 1:5 (NLT) 

It has also reminded me how beneficial it can be to work with others.  I admit, I don't always find this easy as I like to work alone and I find it hard to delegate.  Working as a team can bring it's own share of problems but there are many advantages to working together, such as a greater mix of skills and gifting.  Paul writing to the Christians in Rome says "⁴ Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, ⁵ so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. ⁶ In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well." Romans 12:4-6 (NLT).  

In discussions, others can suggest good ideas which we had not thought of, they can bring solutions to problems and can share in the work load.  We read in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. ¹⁰ If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble...  ¹² A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." (NLT)

If you have a desire or a dream that you know God has placed in your heart, share it with a select few, those Christians whose judgement and wisdom you respect, and listen to what advice or suggestions they give you.  Keep an open heart and open mind so that God can speak to you through them.  Then again when the time is right, gather around you a team of people who you know will buy into your dream and will help to make the dream a reality.

To Think About:
How easy do you find it to be quick at listening and slow at speaking?  Who has God placed in your life you can turn to for advice and help?

What gift(s) has God given you to equip you to accomplish the desire he has placed in your heart? 

Ask God who you should approach to work alongside and with you.  God may be asking you to practice the art of delegation.

Vicki