More Effective Communication
We each need to work on thinking and communicating clearly but the first step is learning how to listen!
As we learn to communicate, one of the most important skills is listening. Jesus used a special phrase at the end of His parables, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." This has several implications:
- First, use the ears and mind that God gave you. A willingness to listen and understand is essential for those who want to learn and those who are interested in Truth. Remember that truth does not come from inside us, it comes from God, who is the source of all truth. If we don't listen and evaluate what we hear, we will certainly be deceived.
- Jesus' parables communicated truth at several levels. So this command to listen was appropriate for every individual in His audience, no matter where they were in life. Some of them were only able to understand the most basic aspects of the message - the earthly reality of the sower, the seed and the types of soil where the seed might grow. Others might have also received an intellectual message regarding how or where to invest their resources. But very few were able to receive the blessing of the spiritual message, the one Jesus later shared clearly with His disciples. This is part of the beauty of His parables because there was something for everyone. It was short, clear and completely true at every level while challenging the listener to respond to the Truth. If we listen well, we should also hear the message at many levels and be able to apply Truth at each level.
- The final aspect of listening is realizing that I am not the only one listening. "Let him hear" implies that I am partially responsible for others. First, I must not be a distraction to others. Second, I must help create an environment for listening and learning. Third, I can reinforce the message to others by my words, actions and attitudes. In other words, I must help others listen well.
- not thinking about what I will say while others are talking
- displaying a posture of listening by looking at others when they talk (and not looking at my phone or...)
- responding to what others say by my facial expression and other physical cues
- thinking about what others say at multiple levels
- asking good follow up questions to help them clarify their ideas and/or my understanding
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