10 Ways I Need to Listen Better (and Talk Less)
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“I’m not a very good listener. I tend to have multiple things on my mind, and they hinder my ability to hear well. I need to listen better—and that probably means talking less.” - Chuck Lawless
As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“I’m not a very good listener. I tend to have multiple things on my mind, and they hinder my ability to hear well. I need to listen better—and that probably means talking less.” - Chuck Lawless
“Calloused knees. Prayer closet. Answered prayers. Prayer warrior. These four phrases don’t exactly trigger me with spiritual PTSD, but they do represent markers in my journey of moving from prayer-guilt into the grace of praying.” - Desiring God
“My planning had gone as far as to block the time off but not as far as to figure out what I would do instead. I freed up a solid 40 hours between 9 and 5, but didn’t put anything in its place.” - Challies
“Church attendance is also an indicator of quiet time frequency. Those attending worship services at least four times a month (26%) are more likely than those who attend one to three times a month (13%) to say they spend time alone with God more than once a day.” - Lifeway
A pair of articles at TGC:
(First posted in 2011)
Aesop told the tale of the Peasant and the Apple Tree.
“We know we can always pray more and give more and evangelize more, so we get used to living in a state of mild disappointment with ourselves.” - DeYoung
“Many of them are awash in messy lives, as I was, but they illogically and absurdly blame God for the mess, even though it’s traceable directly to decisions they have made.” - Olinger
Christian living isn’t just having your heart in the right place, but it isn’t less than that. Given that our hearts are “prone to wander,” as the song says, we need multiple ways to conduct “heart checks” on ourselves.
One self-diagnostic is to examine what we’re eager for.
When I was a kid, I looked forward to Christmas every year with great eagerness. It was an accurate reflection of where my heart was!
“…at Nanci’s request and on short notice, our daughters and their families gathered to hear her speak final words of overflowing love for us and unswerving trust in her sovereign King.” - Randy Alcorn
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