Learning to Listen

Mark 4
Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams. [4.9] “Are you listening to this? Really listening?”

Lord Jesus--The whole point is the listening part isn't it. For there to be change in the soil conditions there has to be listening, a pervasive attentiveness to your work in my life.  Your work takes place in so many different ways in my life and on so many different levels concurrently.  There is the call to priority of purpose.  Weed choke out the word for the simple lack of pulling them out. There is the call to looking to the work that is put before me without distraction. I can loose focus so easily.

You remind me this morning that fruitfulness is a process that needs to be attended to in simple and consistent ways. There are times when consistency is not easy...distractions come up...life happens.

I used to think of this in a way that was somehow less than.   I should have...I could have...I didn't.  That somehow I am responsible for the weeds that surround and can so easily engulf.   I am not sure that is the point. Weeds are a part of life. Don't watch them grow pull them out! The point is the weeds that are in front of me now.  There is a harvest to plan for and to work toward.  Guilt is never an adequate motivator.

What are the real motivators for listening?  Connection, direction, encouragement to grow deeper, a closer walk, and to continue the process of learning how to let your grace seep into this heart of mine.

Let my ears and heart be wide open to your voice today, Lord Jesus.

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (pp. 1796-1797). NavPress. Kindle Edition.