Just listen, I am trying to tell you something...

Listen, I am trying to tell you something...

He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. ~Proverbs 10:17 (NIV)

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. ~ James 1:19 (NIV)

If you would just listen, I am trying to tell you something…

That message you heard so many times as an impatient child as a parent tried to instruct you to do something.

As a teacher, I have discovered that there is always that one child who won’t let you finish the directions.  This is the child who interrupts you in the middle of your sentence just as you were about to get to that part of the instructions.

This is the same child who never reads the directions either. When you ask them to read the directions back to you then they go…ohhhhh I get it.

As an adult, you think well I was just about to get to that if you would just wait and listen. Trust me, I am going to give you all the instructions that you need and check for clarification.

I thought, well do we sometimes do this to God. God has given us the instructions that we need. He has given us the word of God. We often neglect to read the directions because we are lazy, too tired, or too busy. We ask God for clarification and help but then we don’t stop long enough to hear God’s answer. 

We interrupt him in our need to have to know all the answers. We interrupt God in worry of not understanding. We interrupt God in the lack of faith that he will provide us with the answers that we need. We interrupt God in the lack of trust of our own insecurities.

As patient as God is…I wonder if thinks just as a teacher, adult, or leader thinks….Listen, I am trying to tell you something if you would just listen.

If you would have just listened then I could have avoided you from unnecessary woes.

If you would have just listened then I could have avoided you from unnecessary worry and stress.

I thought if only we even as adults would slow down and listen.  We would be less stressed and able to receive joy.  Listening is something we need to be quick to do because if we don’t listen then we can’t grab further understanding.

So today, I stop and say the words of Yolanda Adams, “Sight beyond what I see, you know what’s best for me.  Prepare my heart, prepare my mind. For whatever comes, I am going to be ready.”

But if I am going to be ready then that means I have stop, listen, wait, and let you be in control Lord.