I was sitting in worship recently (and actually listening) when it struck me how often we we preach little 5 second sermons without even realizing it. While one of the men was serving upfront, he made a very brief parenthetical comment that revealed to me exactly what he believed on a particular topic. It caused me to pause and consider the siginificance of the little things we say:
- How often do I miss the important nuances of another's speech because I am not paying attention? Whether it is my spouse, children, or something being taught in worship - am I really zoned in on what others are saying.
- What am I revealing about myself. All too often my tongue goes unchecked and people get a short little, five-second glimpse of who I really am. In those moments all I can do is hope they aren't paying attention.
- Listening is becoming a lost art. We are distracted by television and our computer monitors, we are to consumed with what we want to say, or we are simply inconsiderate of others. If you want to be a reallly good friend, or really learn what makes another person tick - shut up and listen.
I think we have all had those moments when we are pulled back to consciousness and ask, "Did I really just hear that?" Imagine what life would be like if we really stopped to listen once in awhile.
