Who Are You Listening To?

You’re going about your life and–BAM–an intrusive thought slivers its way into your brain. Telling you lies, which are hard to let go of. In fact, it takes 3oo times of repeating a better thought before the lie is removed.

God cares about our thoughts. When we are told to be obedient to God, it not only means following the commands in the Bible for living a healthier life. Obedience means listening with our full selves to God.

I’m sure you’ve experienced conversations where you have something else playing in your head while the other person is talking. You leave unsure of what was even discussed. When lies fill our minds, causing us to doubt ourselves and the truth of God’s love, we aren’t able to listen to God.

There are two practices I have been introduced to this week that may help both of us on our journey towards listening to God.

• Practicing listening without responding

Read a portion of the Bible with a loved one, then take turns listening without commenting, agreeing, or inflicting your opinion. By allowing yourself to be solely focused on absorbing what the other person has to share, you won’t be consumed with figuring out what to say next.

• Write down a situation where you had strong (negative) emotions today. Record what you were thinking during this experience and then consider whether there’s a more constructive thought to replace it with when in a similar situation.

For example:

Original thought: I didn’t get the response I wanted, which must mean I’m not good at what I’m doing.

Replacement thought: Perhaps this response can give me new perspective. I am still loved and purposeful even when I don’t do as well as I had hoped.

Your state of mind matters just as much as all the other parts of you. I hope and pray this week is the start of allowing God to speak to you above all other voices.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

John 10:28-29