The Purposeful Listener

Why is it so difficult to slow our minds down enough to listen or think about nothing? I was recently reading a study by Dr. Charles Stanley that discussed listening to God. Stanley discussed the difference between a passive and purposeful listener. These are two different types of listeners. A passive listener is just “there” with little or no plan to implement what he or she hears during a sermon, lesson, or meditation time. A purposeful listener comes to church with the intention of listening and applying the sermon or lesson heard. As discussed in an earlier writing, we must not only pray to God, but we must listen for his direction and guidance. If we are not purposeful in our listening, we may miss out on what direction God wants us to know. David writes in Psalms 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Being still and listening for God’s direction is the first step in becoming a purposeful listener versus a passive listener.