WAY #3: LISTEN GENEROUSLY

 
LISTEN GENEROUSLY. Be quick to listen and do so with your undivided attention.  Minimize the distractions and let go of the need to agree or disagree. Suspend your judgment and be curious to know more rather than jumping to conclusions. Above all, listen to understand.
 
a Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. (James 1: 19, 20)
 
b Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish. (Proverbs 18: 13)
 

c Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. (Proverbs 12:15)

 
Ideas for Action: Put aside phones and laptops. Turn off the TV or computer and face someone you love. Focus on what the other is saying; not on what you want to say. Be careful that you’re not interrupting because you’re not listening to them.

 

Daily Devotionals

 
MONDAY:

Proverbs 18:12-13

THINK: When we think we have all the answers, there is no reason to listen to others. They should listen to us. The haughty have no reason to pause, but the humble Listen Generously. You never know how a person’s beliefs can shape your faith, and you never if know if God has chosen the person in front of you to be His messenger.
PRAY: that God humbles you.

TUESDAY:

Proverbs 17:3-4

THINK: It feels good to be trusted with a secret; but while we are called to Listen Generously, not all things are worth listening to. Listening generously doesn’t mean giving a friend space to badmouth their wife or space to spread the latest gossip. Have nothing to do with idle rumors, instead encourage one another to Speak the Truth with Love first.
PRAY: God would convict you of places you listen to gossip.

WEDNESDAY:

Zechariah 7:11-12

THINK: God is not done talking, but often He chooses to speak through others. Prophets have always spoken for God but have rarely been listened to. We Listen Generously because the same Holy Spirit that lives in us lives in other Christians, and you never know what truth or message they can bring to you.
PRAY: God would put someone in your life that you need to hear from.

THURSDAY:

THINK: Sometimes what honestly gets in the way of listening generously is time. You have a lot going on; and when you have the luxury of free time, it’s difficult to spend it Listening to someone we disagree with. Understanding and wisdom, though, aren’t gained by running to the next task to accomplish. They are gained by taking the time to listen to one another and hear from their faith, even if it has a different shape from your own.
PRAY: that God would help you make margins in your life so you have time to Listen Generously.

FRIDAY:

THINK: There is a difference between a disagreement and a quarrel. Christians are called not to be quarrelsome; that doesn’t mean we won’t disagree. The difference is this: the quarrelsome listen to disprove and overcome. When we Listen Generously, we affirm that, though we disagree, we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
PRAY: that God would put fellow Christians in your life that you disagree with.

SATURDAY:

James 2:1-9

THINK: Do not merely listen to those that sound educated or those that dress like they are worth listening to. Isn’t it true that God often works in the least expected ways? Likewise, do not merely Listen Generously to adults. Think of Timothy and his struggle to be heard. When we Listen Generously without favoritism, we hear from those who are rarely given a voice. PRAY: that God would convict you of the ways you play favorites.

Devotional Guides

SERIES ONE  Printable copy of Way #3 Devotionals (Small Group Guide)
 
SERIES TWO Printable copy of Way #3 Devotionals (Series Two)