Listen Thoroughly

One of the activities I remember from a college counseling class was on listening. I remember it for a couple of reasons. One, because I was the "sucker" who fell victim to it. Two, because I have used it as an exercise in other areas, putting it to use. The exercise was to discuss some sort of a difficulty in your life, then ask the other person if they've ever had anything like that in their life. As 99% of the ones on the other side did, we started talking about our life, when that person was the one who came to us to talk out their situation, not hear us talk.

Listening is a part of my job as a husband and as a minister. Listening is incorporated in one-to-one situations, as well as, feeling out a situation (long- or short-term). Listening is important when it comes to trying to hear God through all the noise of life. Listening helps us learn, both knowledge and what actions to take next. The idea of listening brings us to this week's quote...

A good listener tries to understand thoroughly what the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, but before he disagrees, he wants to know exactly what it is he is disagreeing with. ~ Kenneth A. Wells, "Guide to Good Leadership"

If you're like me, you may be guilty of mentally finishing sentences or forming solutions to mentioned problems. Those are not good listening skills. We must engage with whom we're involved with and try to hear what they're saying. This will help us to have a better chance to understand what the other person is trying to communicate.

When we're being offended or rubbed the wrong way, it is hard to keep listening. Maybe that is a time when we should look even more close at what we're supposed to be listening to.

Listening is something we can all be perpetual students of. I think when we feel like we've mastered it, we're needing to go back to learn some more!

Learning to listen...