Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. – James 4:8a (NRSV)
How to you draw near to God? When was the last time that you tried? Did you discover God drawing near to you? How is your relationship with God? Could it be better? How will you make it better?
Sometime ago someone sent me this.
Listen
When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving me advice, you have not done what I asked.
When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me that I shouldn't feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings.
When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem, you have failed me, strange as that may seem.
Listen! All that I asked was that you listen--not talk or do--just hear me.
Advice is cheep. Thirty-five cents will get you both Dear Abby and Billy Graham in the same newspaper.
All I can do is do for myself. I am not helpless--maybe discouraged, but not helpless.
When you do something for me that I can and need to do for myself, you contribute to my fear and inadequacy.
So, please listen and just hear me. If you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn--and I'll listen to you.
We know that those who listen to us are truly our friends, because they are not trying to offer us quick fixes, but instead are just trying to be with us when there are no quick fixes. God wants to be a friend, someone we can talk to and be heard, someone who isn’t going to interrupt us or offer us cheep advise before we are done with our stories, someone who holds us when we cry to let us know we are not alone. God wants us to get everything out so we felt heard, and it is then that God will talk to us. And if God is our friend then we will sit back and listen, and who knows what glorious things we will hear!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Showing posts with label listen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label listen. Show all posts
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Doing the Word
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. – James 1:22 (NIV)
How can someone deceive himself or herself by only listening to the word? Do you feel you have ever deceived yourself? What does it mean to “do” what the word says? What is an example of doing what the word says that you can think of right now?
My sister called me up the other day and told me about a little boy around 7 or 8 years old. He earned money throughout the year either because of gifts given or doing the odd job around the house. There was always the promise that as he earned the money he would be able to buy something with it, so the little boy kept earning money.
Toward the beginning of December his mother asked him if he wanted to use his money. Excited the little boy shook his head yes. “Do you know what you want to buy?” asked his mother. The little boy shook his head yes. “What do you want to use your money for?” his mother prodded. The boy looked at his mother and said, “I want to give half of it to Toys for Tots, and half to the Veterans Relief Fund.” Understandably his mother was shocked, “Are you sure?” “Yes, yes mom, I am sure.”
The boy’s mother told people about how her son wanted to spend his money and it inspired a couple of people who heard. These inspired people said that they would match the little boy’s gift. Several days later the boy walked into a Toy’s for Tots donation center and gave them half of his money and half of the matched gifts. Then he went to the place to donate for the Veterans Relief Fund and did the same. All total the little boy gave almost $500. What awesome work done by someone so young!
Jesus said, “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” There is no doubt that little boy did what that word says! What word is it time to do that we have heard? As we approach the New Year let us make a resolution to do the word we have heard; we may be amazed at what occurs!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
How can someone deceive himself or herself by only listening to the word? Do you feel you have ever deceived yourself? What does it mean to “do” what the word says? What is an example of doing what the word says that you can think of right now?
My sister called me up the other day and told me about a little boy around 7 or 8 years old. He earned money throughout the year either because of gifts given or doing the odd job around the house. There was always the promise that as he earned the money he would be able to buy something with it, so the little boy kept earning money.
Toward the beginning of December his mother asked him if he wanted to use his money. Excited the little boy shook his head yes. “Do you know what you want to buy?” asked his mother. The little boy shook his head yes. “What do you want to use your money for?” his mother prodded. The boy looked at his mother and said, “I want to give half of it to Toys for Tots, and half to the Veterans Relief Fund.” Understandably his mother was shocked, “Are you sure?” “Yes, yes mom, I am sure.”
The boy’s mother told people about how her son wanted to spend his money and it inspired a couple of people who heard. These inspired people said that they would match the little boy’s gift. Several days later the boy walked into a Toy’s for Tots donation center and gave them half of his money and half of the matched gifts. Then he went to the place to donate for the Veterans Relief Fund and did the same. All total the little boy gave almost $500. What awesome work done by someone so young!
Jesus said, “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.” There is no doubt that little boy did what that word says! What word is it time to do that we have heard? As we approach the New Year let us make a resolution to do the word we have heard; we may be amazed at what occurs!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
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