One of our challenges for 2014 is to learn and live
all 50
commands of Jesus. Jesus told us that following his commandments
is a way to love him and a way for his love and his joy to fill our lives (John
15:9-12). In his Great Commission, Jesus tells his followers to make
disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything he commanded us
(Matthew 28:19-20). So each week in this year we are learning and living
one command of Jesus. Here is our command for this week...
Week 8:
“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered
them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I
am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell
facedown to the ground, terrified. But
Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’
he said. ‘Don’t be afraid,’” (Matthew
17:5-8).
Application:
I am breaking with the pattern a little for this
week. This is not a command from
Jesus. It is a command about Jesus. We are commanded to listen to Jesus.
I came across this command twice last week. First, I came across the command while
preparing for the sermon on Sunday. The
verse above was part of my Scripture reading.
I could not help but hear God’s command to listen to Jesus. Then, in the last week of our small group
adventure “40 Days to a Healthier Life,” we were challenged to spend five
minutes a day in quiet time listening to God.
My small group admitted that we often don’t take this
small amount of time to listen to God.
We also acknowledged that in our noisy world it can be difficult to
quiet our minds and listen to God. Yet
when we fail to listen to Jesus, we miss out on so much.
Once Jesus was delivering a difficult message to the
crowds and many people began to turn away from him. Jesus asked his disciples, “You do not want
to leave too, do you?” I love how Peter
responded. Peter said, “Lord, to whom
shall we go? You have the words of
eternal life. We have come to know that
you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69).
Jesus is the Son of the Living God.
He has the words of eternal life.
His words can bring life, save lives, transform lives, and lead us in the
way of true life. So it is in our best
interest to listen to Jesus.
Still, listening to Jesus can be a challenge. Listening has been a struggle for me. I often fly through a day and forget to
listen. When I do, I have never heard
God speak audibly. Most of the time my
mind gets distracted. If you have ever
had these struggles, this post is for you.
I wanted to share 10 tips I’ve picked up and learned along the way that
might help you listen to Jesus…
1) Time. Schedule a time to listen to God. Put it on your calendar. Unless we put it in our calendar, it will
probably get lost in the shuffle and forgotten about in the midst of our very
busy lives. Pick a time when you are at
your best and have the most energy.
Also, try to pick a time when you can focus on God without
distraction. If you have young children,
this may mean picking a time before they get up or after they go to bed. Most online calendars have reminders for
important events. Set up reminders for
your listening time. I have alarms set
on my watch to remind me to stop and pray throughout the day.
2) Location. It helps to pick a place that is quiet,
calming, and free from distraction. This
varies depending on the person. It could
be in your living room or in the bathroom or at a park or in a worship space. Lighting, smell, and comfort all play a part
in whether or not a location is calming and conducive for listening to God.
3) Unplug. Turn it off.
Turn it all off. Turn off your
phone. Shut down your computer. Turn off the TV. Turn off the music. What?!?
Did I say, “Turn off the music?”
Yes! Turn it all off. “But music helps me connect with God,” you
might say. That’s great. Listen to that all day long. But for five minutes, turn it off so you can
listen to God. We are inundated by sound
all day long. We need to unplug from it
all if we ever hope to really tune into God.
I know this might not work for everyone, but I often take the first few
minutes in my car to be quiet and listen to God. I turn off the radio and spend a few quiet
moments listening to God.
4) Focus. I am easily distracted. So I need things that can help me focus. Here are some aids that I have found helpful.
-Walk. Walking helps my mind focus
on God. Something about my body being
active helps my mind to relax. As I walk,
I can talk to God and spend time listening.
-Hold. Holding something in
my hand helps me to focus. I like holding
a rock when I pray. Jesus is our rock,
our cornerstone, our firm foundation.
Squeezing the rock and feeling it reminds me of who I am listening to,
and it is a way to demonstrate that I am holding onto him. If I get distracted, I squeeze the rock and
refocus on my Rock.
-Visuals. Having something to
focus on is another way to stay focused.
I like lighting a candle. Jesus
is the light of the Word. Looking at the
candle and watching it flicker helps me focus while I listen. You could also look at a picture or a
painting or a cross or any other visual that helps you focus on God while you
listen.
-Centering Word. Another aid
is to have a centering word. Pick a word
that is meaningful to you. Maybe it is a
name of God or an attribute of God that you appreciate. For example, you could pick the word “Savior”
or “Grace” or “Life.” Start your prayer
time by repeating this word several times until you are focused on God. If you find your mind wandering, repeat this
word until you are focused again. Repeat
as needed.
-Conversation starters.
Rather than getting frustrated by random thoughts, use them as
conversation starters with God. Say you
are listening to God and you all of a sudden think about having to do the
laundry. Use the random thought as a
conversation starter with God. Thank God
that you have clothes to wear. Thank God
for all of his provisions in your life.
Talk with God about why this is on your mind. Ask if God has anything to say about the
matter. Then, return to listening. Repeat as needed.
5) Rest. One of my hang ups about listening was that I
felt like I was not hearing God say anything.
Maybe that is not the only goal of listening. Maybe it is an opportunity to simply be still
and rest in God’s presence. In Psalm
46:1, God says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Perhaps we need moments of quiet in God’s
presence to remember that we are not God.
Perhaps we need moments to stop and simply rest in the presence of a God
who loves us and empowers us. We are
told that when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, angels came and
strengthened him (Luke 22:43). What if
God invites us to stop our activities and stop our talking long enough for him
to strengthen us? At night I pray with
my son. We take a few moments to listen
to God. I invite my son to rest in God
like he rests in his bed.
6) Listen for the whispers. When the prophet Elijah encountered God on a
mountain, God’s voice came in an unexpected way. It did not come booming over the loud
speakers like a mighty wind or a roar of thunder or a shattering earthquake. Instead, it came to Elijah in a gentle
whisper (1 Kings 19:12). A whisper is
spoken by someone who is close. Sometimes
God speaks in a whisper – God will place a thought or an idea in your mind, God
will tug at your feelings and emotions, God will move you to take a certain
action. Pay attention to how God is
moving in your mind and heart. Listen
for the whispers.
7) Read. A friend of mine refers to the Bible as God’s
closed-captioning for the hearing impaired.
God speaks to us through the Bible.
You might consider beginning your quiet time by reading a few verses
from the Bible. Having a good study
Bible can really help you better understand the meaning of the verse you are
reading. After you read, spend the next
few minutes in quiet time thinking about the verse. Ask God, “What do you want to say to me
through these verses? Is there something
you want me to know, change, or do?”
Keep a pen and a journal handy so that you can jot down meaningful
verses and ideas that come to mind.
8) Spirit. God spoke to the people in the Bible through
his Holy Spirit. Ask for God’s Spirit to
speak to you, help you hear, and help you respond in faithfulness and obedience
to God’s Word.
9) Practice. Listening is an art form. This is true in communication with other
people. The ability to listen well and
truly hear what another person is saying takes time and practice. The same is true with God. Give this time. Don’t get discouraged if it feels awkward at
first. Don’t give up if you don’t feel
like you hear anything right away. Just
keep developing the habit and practicing the techniques. Over time, this will begin to feel more
natural and become more enjoyable.
10) Don’t be afraid. One woman in my small group table shared that
she was a little fearful of listening to God.
She could not quit put a finger on why.
Maybe she was afraid of what might bubble up in her mind in the quiet
silence. Maybe she was afraid God would
speak and she would not like what He had to say. If fear is a barrier to your listening,
reread the closing line in our Scripture verse.
Jesus walks over to his disciples, touches them, invites them to get up,
and says, “Don’t be afraid.” You do not
have to be afraid of listening to Jesus.
He loves you and cares about you.
He knows what’s best for you. He
wants what’s best for you. He has the
words of eternal life. Whatever he tells
you will be spoken in love and supported by his powerful presence in your life. Don’t be afraid. Listen to Jesus!
I would love to
hear your thoughts on this. Which tips
did you find helpful? What other tips have
you found helpful for listening to God?
Share your comments and application ideas below…
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