Listening = Loving

It’s a special holiday today that is centered around love. All of the focus centers around red hearts, flowers, candy, dinners, but what does it mean to show true love. What does that look like? 

Recently, Josh and I took a Myers Briggs personality test. While we are similar in many areas, we couldn’t be more different when it comes to the area of being extroverted and introverted. I’ll let you decide who was who, but let’s just say that I love to be around people and I love to talk. While I thought about the upcoming holiday, I stumbled upon a quote. “When the two ears are put side by side, it forms a heart. Interestingly, the word ‘ear’ sits right in the middle of the word ‘heart’ (h-ear-t). The ear is the way to the heart, so if you want someone’s heart, learn to listen to them. If you want God’s heart, learn to listen to Him” 

Many times, we are quick to give our opinion, our excuses, our advice, when instead we should be listening. Listening to what the other person is struggling with. Listening to what the other person likes. Listening to how the other person feels. The bible tells us to be slow to speak and slow to anger. The bible also teaches us to watch our tongue. I’ve often regretted things that I have said because I didn’t listen and think before I spoke. 

Every relationship, not only your spouse, requires listening. We have recently noticed outbursts of frustration and bouts of screaming from our boys when they feel that no one is listening to them. They feel alone. They feel undervalued. They feel unimportant. One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what the other person has to say. There are few greater feelings than to feel loved by those that you respect the most. One of the ways that we feel loved is when we feel listened to and when we feel that our opinion and voice matters. 

There are many times where I know that God has tried to show me something or speak to me and I have simply talked my way around or out of it. I know that I matter to God. How do I show Him that He matters to me? How do I show love to God? We can show it through many ways, but many times I feel we should just listen. Simply be still. 

Josh and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage this year, and while we still get frustrated, we have come a long way with this listening love. I would challenge you this week to look at your relationships and your relationship with God. Are you showing love? Are you showing respect? Are you truly listening?