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listening

Hearing God, Part 3

By Bob Condly
February 15, 2019
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“Whoever has ears, let them hear.” – Matthew 11:15

All Christians want to hear God speak to them. I don’t know of a single exception. I’m sure that there a few of them, but over my years in ministry, almost everyone I’ve encountered value the voice of God. They try to tune into what the Lord is communicating and I commend them for their efforts.

For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been addressing the issue of the meaning of hearing God. (The links are here and here.) When we say we want to hear Him, what are we getting at?

We began by recognizing that the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, testifies about God speaking to people. And for Him to do so implies that we have the capacity to hear Him.

But hearing isn’t as simple as it appears. Relying on the work of theologian Bernard Lonergan about the philosophy of knowledge, we posited that hearing God consists of four operations or levels. The first one, which he called “experiencing,” we referred to as “sensing.”

Many believers, including me, use that term when it comes to discerning God’s will. It has a built-in modesty. When we say we sense that God wants something, we lack ironclad certainty. We’re willing to take the chance but we could be wrong. Sensing God’s voice is part of the process of hearing Him, but there needs to be more. We want more.

Listening

Lonergan’s calls his second cognitional operation “understanding.” Taking in information via the senses is necessary, but we have to treat what we absorb if we’re to benefit.

And this is how we often use the word “hear.” When we ask the question, “Did you hear me?” we may be wondering if someone’s ears took in the sounds our words made. But it can also refer to understanding, as in “Listen to me!” We say “listen,” but we mean more than acknowledging sounds. We aim for comprehension.

Listening is hearing that’s intensified or focused. Here are a few biblical examples of this second stage of hearing God.

Abraham, Moses, and the Laodiceans heard words in languages which they understood. They had clarity about what the Lord was telling them; so much so, that they could reply with intelligence. This is the nature of conversation with God.

But sometimes people miss the meaning of God’s Word. They hear, but they don’t understand. The Bible illustrates this, too.

Mistaking

We can misidentify the voice of the Lord.

“‘Father, glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ 29The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. 30Jesus said, ‘This voice was for your benefit, not mine.’” – John 12:28-30

Thunder? An angel? It was neither; the Father spoke in public about His Son. Everyone there heard God’s voice, but no one knew it was His. (Except for the apostle John; he got it!)

What’s the benefit of a sound you can’t understand? The people heard God speak, but they failed to listen.

Ignorance

The book of Acts recounts Paul’s conversion three times. Each one sheds light on what it means to hear God.

“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ 5‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 6‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ 7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.” – Acts 9:3-7

In this first telling, Paul (whose original name was Saul) reacted to and understood everything Jesus spoke to him. Surprised, yes, but he got the idea–Jesus is the Messiah, so serve Him!

The others who traveled with him? They heard what must’ve sounded like a human voice because they were looking for the speaker but couldn’t see anybody. We don’t know if, like Paul, they understood what was being said.

“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ 8’Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.” – Acts 22:6-9

In the second speech, Paul clarifies that his fellow travelers sensed the voice of Jesus but lacked comprehension.

“About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” – Acts 26:13-14

Paul knew several languages, including Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. In the third account of his conversion, the apostle informed his listeners that he grasped what Jesus was saying. The others didn’t, but Paul provides no explanation. It’s possible they didn’t know Aramaic. But the answer lies elsewhere.

Heart

Discerning the voice of God is wonderful, but we may not understand what He’s communicating. It’s not a language issue, as though God were speaking to us in a dialect we never learned. The issue goes deeper; it’s a matter of the heart.

“‘Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.’ 45But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.” – Luke 9:44-45

Jesus told His disciples about His impending crucifixion which befuddled them. Furthermore, they didn’t want to know; fear kept them from finding out. What were they afraid of? This indicates that they had partial understanding. They realized that Christ was talking about the cross, but such news didn’t jibe with their beliefs. The Messiah doesn’t die; he delivers the nation from the Gentiles and ushers in the kingdom of God.

“Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.’ 34The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.” – Luke 18:31-34

Have you ever repeated yourself because people were having trouble following you? That’s where Jesus was at! The death of the Messiah made no sense to His disciples, so they couldn’t perceive the plan of God.

“He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ 45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” – Luke 24:44-45

After His resurrection, Jesus would wait no longer. He took His disciples through the Scriptures so they could appreciate how God orchestrated Christ’s death and resurrection for the salvation of the world.

The difference is that now, Jesus opened their minds. If we are to understand what God is saying to us, it will take the grace of Jesus working within us.

Application

Do you want the sound of God’s voice to reverberate in your ears or in your heart? That would be wonderful, wouldn’t it? Or do you wish to listen to what He’s telling you?

As Jesus announced to the crowd, the voice of the Father was for their benefit. And so it is for us, too. God speaks to us to foster our spiritual growth. Sensing His voice and listening to Him are awesome steps in this journey, but God has even more for us.

The Limits of Listening

By Bob Condly
January 19, 2018
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“God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we talk!”

A popular expression, but do we believe it?

Should we?

Dynamics

This proverb is conflicted. If in a conversation I listen to a friend for 30 minutes and speak for 15, I live up to the standard. Yet this means that he speaks for 30 minutes and listens for only 15. He falls short. Did my listening make him hog the conversation?

Why hinder the dynamism of conversation by tracking minutes? Let human interaction flourish free from such restrictions!

But any discussion, particularly one dealing with sensitive or painful matters, needs boundaries. Rivers flow within banks; floods wreak havoc.

Destination

The goal is another issue. Why do people want us to listen to them? Some love the sound of their own voice.

“A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind.” – Proverbs 18:2

Others strive to change something wrong in their lives. By talking to us, people express their hope that we can help them overcome their problems.

That’s fine as long as we assume we can.

But what if what they’re telling us leaves us stumped? We don’t know what steps they should take.

Have you ever been in a situation where you didn’t know what to say?

Once a college student made an appointment to see me for pastoral counseling. I wasn’t sure of the reason for her visit, but during the session, she told me that she’d been raped in her campus apartment.

I wasn’t expecting to hear that horrible tale.

What comfort could I offer her? What could I say that would take away the pain and redeem the effects?

Many pastors and Christian leaders recommend that in times of crisis we practice a “ministry of presence.” We do nothing but show up and spend time, preferably in silence.

Blogger Anjanette Flemming maintains that “sometimes . . . you need not words. Your presence is enough. This is the ‘Ministry of Presence’, to just sit with someone in their pain and suffering.”

And Dr. Stephen Davey assures us: “I want to encourage you that everyone in the body of Christ qualifies to be an expert assistant to the suffering. You do not have to be brilliant, persuasive, articulate, or experienced. You can be involved in what I will call, ‘The Ministry of Presence.’ Through the ministry of presence, you can bring comfort to the hurting—without ever being ordained or certified. You do not have to be anything but available to be a wonderful tool in the hand of God . . . We do not have to be brilliant, articulate, biblical scholars; it is true that the greatest ability as a friend is availability. Just show up—and you exercise the ministry of presence.”

Sitting still with a friend can provide the best therapy.

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” – James 1:19

Rather than jumping to plan a strategy, we stop and focus. As psychiatrist M. Scott Peck says, “you cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.” And the Bible warns us:

“To answer before listening–that is folly and shame.” – Proverbs 18:13

We see this principle illustrated in the lives of Job and his friends.

“When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.” – Job 2:11-13

Their silence suited Job; but when his friends voiced their opinions, they failed him and God.

“After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. 8So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.’” – Job 42:7-8

Here’s the problem though: as much as people claim they don’t want our help, they often do. And although pastors insist that we serve best by keeping quiet and listening, responding isn’t always a sin. The fact that people are willing to unburden themselves to us implies that they want answers.

But we have to honor God’s timing.

Discipleship

Before we suggest solutions, before we even listen to people’s stories, we need to visit with Jesus.

“The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.” – Isaiah 50:4

Our dedication to Christ comes first. Only when we prioritize Him will we get insights that comfort and guide.

We must listen to the Lord; we must also observe ourselves.

Psychologist Kyle Arnold says that “bad listeners are those who do not slow down and pay attention to how they feel when listening, and quickly respond before letting anything sink in. Our dimly felt inner responses to the other person’s words provide the most penetrating understanding of what they mean.”

He adds: “The next time you are confused or concerned by an interaction, don’t respond immediately. Take a momentary pause, and try listening to your inner feelings. You may find that doing so is initially uncomfortable. Awkward memories, unexpected emotions, or strange associations may emerge. However, when patiently pursued, these unbidden inner experiences can awaken a deep understanding and make relationships freer and fuller.”

Sandbars and debris clog rivers; ignoring them can capsize a boat. Like rivers, conversations contain submerged barriers. If we disregard them, we risk ruining the help others need.

When we process our feelings and reactions, we put ourselves in the position to speak with compassion and conviction.

In the opinion of psychologist Elizabeth Wake, “the people who use their education most effectively are those who take the time and energy to listen and relate to others and then apply their expertise.”

Hearing the stories of others doesn’t have to be a passive activity. Listening requires discipline and effort. And for disciples, it has a goal: to bring people to Jesus.

Let’s lead by listening.

with Bob Condly

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