Are You Listening?

A teacher stood in front of my desk and said, “Mrs. Loyd, I’ve never had a class like this one before. They do not listen.”

“Did you listen when you were their age?”

“I think I did.” We both laughed a little but I knew deep down it was not funny.

“Give me an example of why you think they don’t listen.” She did, and I thought it was normal for children to not pick up details of a story when they couldn't relate to the subject matter to begin with…..thus, I smiled and said, “I hear you, and I am listening but I don’t hear what you are trying to say."

Children hear more than we give them credit, but I totally moved into her frustration corner! They were not picking up the necessary details she wanted them to know.

“Have you listened to God this morning,” I asked. “Well, I read my Bible, and yes I listened to Him.”

“What did He say?” She just smiled and said, “I don’t remember.”

“Was it not important to you to remember?”

“That’s not fair and you are not listening to me right now!” We chuckled again, and I said, “Look, ‘change up’ something and go back to doing what you are excellent at doing and that is teaching! Step away from the routine and ask God to show you their little minds and what they need. Back up, if needed and get your manipulatives out and spread them on the floor. You KNOW what to do.”

Growing up as a child, I did what I was supposed to do because I was afraid not to. I am seeing more and more children  NOT AFRAID of anything. Parents are not taking the time to train their children because they say they don’t have time between church, ballgames, ball practice, piano practice, and a hundred other things besides being at home together, LISTENING TO EACH OTHER!

No one has time anymore to listen to each other. We are too busy spending our precious time on “other” things while our children grow up without Godly supervision and instruction. God, HELP US! May I ask, "What is important to you?"

Just recently someone asked me why my daughter and her husband, who are missionaries,  were building a house. I said, “Well, they live there and need a home!”

“Do you mean they are going to stay there?”

“Yes! That is their home, their ministry. They are called of God to minister to the people of Lages, Brazil. Their home is their resting place for the family. The city is huge and they will build one church, and then another, and then another, but at night they go HOME.”

“I never thought of it like that!” she said.

She was finally listening to me. We sometimes have in our minds the way something is supposed to be, but all the while, it isn’t, simply because we miss the information along the way and an opinion is formed based on information and/or false thinking.

Taking these two examples, I am reminded of why it is important to “Listen” to God’s Word rather than just sit by and hear “words” which make absolutely no sense and leave us making decisions contrary to the truth of God’s Word.

Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Pr 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels.

Getting to know God more is to “LISTEN” to Him and then “ACT” on His Word. I’m afraid we have stepped away from the training of our forefathers in that we are not opening the Bible up in the mornings around the breakfast table, training our children to “LISTEN” to the Words of God and we wonder why they don’t listen to their teacher and other authority figures. The ultimate, my friend while we train them to listen to us, is to LISTEN to God when He calls their name for salvation and then hopefully calling them to service.

What is more important to you? Maybe, it is time to ‘change up’ some things and get out there and do what you do best but take time to LISTEN as well!

Until next time, Lord willing.

Sharon