Listen well

 You do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 

John 10:26-28

I confess, sometimes as a husband I drift into selective listening when my wife says things that I either don’t want to hear or my mind becomes deaf when I am preoccupied with a project or a problem. The consequences of my unwillingness or inability to listen well, or not at all, is at best being insensitive to my sweetheart and at worst being disrespectful and unloving. When she calls me out of my fog I’m wise to not lamely defend myself and say, “I was listening”, but to confess my folly in checking out while in her presence and ask her forgiveness. Listening requires attention!

Jesus illustrates very clearly that I am truly a sheep in His flock if I believe. If I believe in Him as my Shepherd who leads me, I listen to His voice and follow. All types of voices compete for mindshare, but it’s the voice of my Lord that deserves my undivided attention and discernment. Do I listen intently to His directives to beware straying into the danger areas of temptation and disobedience? Am I seeking my approval from the One whose acceptance matters the most? Jesus says, if I truly love Him I will listen to Him, learn from Him and follow Him wholehearted.

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” (John 14:21).

Are you in tune with the Lord? What is He saying that might be counter-cultural, but best for you and your family? Courage to say no or faith to say yes, both require the Holy Spirit’s leadership and Christ’s peace that surpasses all understanding. Don’t dismiss the example of other faithful followers in the flock of God. Look to those who have labored to listen, who know how to hear the voice of their sympathizing Shepherd, who feast with delight in green pastures of His provision and rest by still waters at peace, secure. The Lord’s voice becomes clearer in quietness.

Get quiet, focus and learn wisdom in the secret place of the soul, where only your Savior dwells. Your Father finds great pleasure in sharing His ways with the humble and upright of heart. Your integrity is an instrument of God’s will—He uses it to bless you so you can bless others. Whatever success you experience, offer it to Jesus as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. You are the most vulnerable to temptation when you are triumphant, so stay surrounded by those who will tell you the truth. Listen to their godly advice as you listen to the one who spoke in your mother’s womb!

“She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said” (Luke 10:39).