Your Servant Is Listening

Over the past two days, we’ve been reflecting on listening, and we continue that theme today.

I remember years ago, one night at dinner, just completely out of the blue, my middle daughter Emily, who was about 3 at the time, reached over and slapped her older sister upside the head. Her sister started to cry, and I asked, “Emily, why did you do that?” She looked up at me and said, “God told me to!” 

Pastor’s kids!  God didn’t tell her to do that!  Maybe she thought he did… or maybe she was just saying what she thought I would want to hear. But, it does raise the question, how do we listen for God?

Yesterday I mentioned that several years ago, I taught a class on Marjorie Thompson’s book, “Soul Feast.” In the book, she makes the point that even though God sometimes speaks directly to people like Samuel, God most often speaks to us without words.

Sometimes God speaks to us through our consciousness. But we have to be careful. Our consciousness is not always completely accurate. My daughter Emily was the prime example. Obviously, she was angry about something that had happened earlier in the day between her and her sister. And I’m sure, in her three-year-old heart, she felt that smacking her sister was the right thing to do.

The wisdom of our faith is: that when our consciousness lines up with the teachings of Jesus, we know we are on the right track. When they don’t line up with the teachings of Jesus, we know we are probably off base. And this is true for other ways of listening to God as well. 

I would also add, sometimes by really and truly listening to those we love and trust, God can speak into our lives. If you’ve ever had a mentor, or been gently guided or challenged by someone else, just at the right time, then you know exactly what I’m talking about… Again, run it through the filter of the teachings of Jesus.

It’s not always easy to listen though, is it? Especially in our day and age when there is noise coming at us from every side.  If it is going to happen, we have to be intentional about it. We have to build in time for quiet and reflection. 

Remember the prayer that Eli gave Samuel: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening…”

Let us pray: God of hope, we pause even now for just a moment in your presence. Help us to carve out time apart with you. Grant us open ears, and open hearts, that we would be attuned to your peace and guidance; through Christ our Lord. Amen.