Listen To Learn… “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.” Proverbs 18:15
Daily life offers lessons to learn, but to benefit we have to be listening. It may be your financial planner who offers suggestions on how to better budget and save money, or a fellow office worker with a warning to spend more time with your family. God sends us people every day as His emissary of truth, but are we listening? Listeners are learners.
Moreover, the acquisition of wisdom is more than listening. It is being intentional to look for the right kind of knowledge in the right kind of places. If your goal is to understand the ways of God then you study Scripture, and you learn from the lives of His faithful followers. The teachings of the Bible come alive when lived out in real life. So ask people you respect what they think, and then apply their wisdom to your situation.
Active procurement of principles for wise living is the strategy of the discerning. A hot and humble heart for truth tends to listen intently, and then asks questions for clarification. The discerning are deliberate to experience what they are learning, so it becomes a part of who they are. For example, when a mentor meets with you to discuss marriage, do the same for another seeking soul, and you will learn to serve as you are being served.
Lastly, never stop listening to learn. Wisdom is a lifetime education. If fact, as you grow older you discover how much more there is to learn. Humility keeps you teachable and maturing. Perhaps you make it a goal to learn something new everyday. Pray for the people who engage you in conversation, and ask what you need to know from them. Do I see a stranger as a spokes person of the Lord? Above all, do I listen to God and learn from Him? Jesus said, “It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me” (John 6:45).
Related Readings: Deuteronomy 31:12; Malachi 2:7; Philippians 4:9; 2 Timothy 3:14
Transformational Living
What did I learn from the Lord in today’s Bible reading?
How will I respond?
