How Well do You Listen?

And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” (1 Samuel 3:10 ESV). An incident in the life of President Franklin D. Roosevelt provides some interesting insight about listening. The incident illustrates how we often fail to really listen to what others say and do. President Roosevelt got tired of smiling that big smile and saying the usual things at all those White House receptions. So one evening he decided to find out whether anybody was paying attention to what he was saying. As each person came up to him with an extended hand, he flashed that big smile and said, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." People would automatically respond with comments such as "How lovely!" or "Just continue with your great work!" Nobody focused on the real meaning of President Roosevelt's words. In fact, when one foreign diplomat approached the President, Roosevelt said, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." Rather than expressing surprise, the diplomat simply responded, "I'm sure she had it coming to her." Most of us have relatives, friends and co-workers whom we care about. However, we fail to demonstrate our care by listening to them. Instead, we ask people how they are doing, exchange brief remarks, and then do our own thing. As Mature Living notes, "Talking to yourself isn't always a sign of old age. In this day and time it may be the only way to be sure someone is listening." In short, we fail to really listen. We don't focus on other people and their needs, so we don't understand them. The result: hurt feelings, painful conflicts, and broken relationships. Another result of not listening is that we miss important truths about life. Isaac Newton, one of history's most distinguished scientists, reflected back on his life and said, "I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me." Newton's words contain a lot of meaning for our lives. There is a great ocean of truth out there for each of us. Our Creator wants to reveal it, but we have to listen in order to gain His understanding. Are you listening? Real listening depends on your attitude. This is the background of our reading this morning. Samuel's attitude was: "Speak, for your servant is listening." God spoke, Samuel listened and became a great man of God. Most of us do very little real listening to God. When we pray, we can't wait to get to the things we want to communicate about the things we want. God's desires and what He wants to communicate to us receive little, if any, attention. So for new understanding, shift your focus away from yourself. Make an effort to really listen to other people. Your relationships with them will improve significantly if you do. Also make an effort to really listen to God. Adopt Samuel's attitude in your life. Your life and relationships, with God and others, will take a dramatic turn for the better when you do. How well are you listening?