In September 2011 I experienced a wonderful weekend retreat called
Men At The Cross. During the weekend I was challenged with a fresh perspective of God and his grace. Through the ministry of MATC I have continued to learn, grow and forge deep relationships with strong, godly men. These men have encouraged me to walk in the light of Christ's love and to rest in the truth about who I am as a beloved son of God. I am learning concepts that are not merely filling my head with knowledge, but are strengthening my heart, my ability to love God and others well.
One of the concepts that has greatly impacted my relationships is the idea of being "present" with others. In conversations I am often eager to share my opinions or offer advice. While some of my friends and family come to me with questions, most of the time they just want to be heard and loved. I'm aware that I love others well when I listen without trying to fix them.
"Whoever restrains his words has knowledge..." Proverbs 17:27
There is an article entitled, "
Being Present to Others" posted on the Men At The Cross blog. You can read it
here. Contained in the article are some excellent insights that may help you grow as a listener. I'm convinced that listening is a lost art in our modern culture. Take a few minutes to read the article and perhaps you will be challenged to listen differently - and to love better.
1 comment:
What an interesting post! I wanted to say thank you for posting this. I have always been quick to think and respond, but slow to listen. In my head, it seemed to me that being able to respond quickly and efficiently was what I needed to strive for when conversing. After reading the post on the Men At The Cross blog I had a revelation of "Hey this about you, listen up". This is something I will most definitely begin trying to incorporate into my daily life.
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