Ear me out ...

The ear is a strange thing ... not just because the more that I stare at a picture of my ear, I think it strange (although this is now true!), it's just ... different ...

Much like our eyes, our ears drive us in different directions. What we listen to, how we listen, who we listen to ...

'For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ' - 2 Timothy 4:3-4

With so much noise in the world ... so much pressure ... so many directions ... and sadly so much pride ... we can easily be taken off course by connecting our ear to our heart, not His ... our will, not His ..

Yet the word speaks more than metaphorically about our ear, and hearing ...

'But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ' - James 1:22

We love to listen to a good sermon don't we?

"What a great message!"

          "Wow, that was convicting!"

                    "I'm going to listen to that again!"

... but that's where it stops.

     Life hits, kids cry, work calls, dishwasher breaks, and the bills arrive in the mail ...

Yet I won't even stop there for today ... because the Word continues to speak about this strange thing we call the ear in yet another way ...

'Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; ' - James 1:19

Wait a minute? You mean it's not quick to speak and quick to get angry?!

     But did you hear what they said about vaccinations? - They're idiots ...
     But did you hear what they said about their political party? - They're idiots ...
     But did you hear what they said about gun control? - They're idiots ...
     But did you hear what they said about education? - They're idiots ...
     But did you hear what they said about their religion? - They're idiots ... 
     But did you hear what they said about evolution? - They're idiots ...
    But did you hear what they said about my mom? - They're ... yeah ... had to throw in a yo mama ... 

'Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. ' - 2 Timothy 2:23

Why do we feed into this so much?

Don't get me wrong - there is an absolute truth - the universe would not function without it. Or as so simply put by S. D. Smith in his book The Green Ember below ...

The Green Ember - great book by S. D. Smith

However, I've just learned one thing throughout my 41 years thus far ... as a husband ... as a parent ... as a friend ... as a coworker ...

               Listen

The best way to share the love of Christ sometimes is to not share anything at all ... but an ear.

Do you know how set apart you will be by being a good listener? Not just hearing ... but listening ... and tuning your heart to actually take it in, and actually care. People will come to you to talk knowing that you actually care and are open to listening. We can learn, grow, empathize, and through that trust, share who we are in Him ... it's such a beautiful design, and so often we get it backwards as if we need to be heard first ... or most ...

Challenge: Take some time and listen to someone over the course of the next week ... intentionally refrain from all the amazing things that you can offer them with your wisdom. Just listen ... truly listen ... care about what you are hearing ... I'm not asking you to agree with them (that is ridiculous to ask), and it may not even be biblical, but just hear them out ... just .... listen ... see how it works out ... and as with many other ministries (and I think listening can be a ministry itself!) you will find that you don't bless the one you are listening to as much as they and God are blessing you through that process ...

What if we did such an amazing job of listening ... and then such an amazing job of bringing what we heard to to the Lord in prayer before responding? Imagine that ...

God is listening to them ... God cares about them ... are we?

His,
~Matthew

Prayer Requests: Continued perseverance in this call that has been placed on my heart as the ministry starts to take shape (more details when I am able to write about it to come) ... just pray ... I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. Just a small little way to advance His Kingdom.

Praise: Praise that while dancer I spoke about in a previous blog was injured, it seems to be just a severe sprain. His contribution to the production will not be full, but not eliminated either - and certainly nothing that would risk his future dancing - praise God.