Monday, July 15, 2024

Are You Listening?

 




 When I think about times when I have gotten sideways in a relationship, a common thread has often my need to be right.  That need leads to stubbornness, heightened emotions, and harsh words.  After many failures in this area, a key learning that was shared with me can be summed up in the phrase “the relationship is more important that being right.”  I am eternally grateful that someone shared that insight with me (and that I actually listened to them!) as it has made a world of difference. 

 

Proverbs 13:10 – Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice

 

Things to think about:

·       Pride – when being right is more important than the relationship

·       James 4:1-2 – “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.”

·       Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

·       Proverbs 15:22a – “Plans fail for lack of counsel…”

 

·       The opposite of Pride is Humility

o   Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less – CS Lewis

·       1 Peter 5:5-6 – “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

·       A key attribute of humility is a willingness to listen      

o   Prov. 16:20 – “Whoever heeds instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord”

o   Proverbs 15:22b – “…but with many advisors plans succeed”

·       James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

·       Proverbs 13:20 – “Walk with the wise and become wise…”

Do you need a God-sized Q-tip to get some of the pride out of your ears so you can better hear His wisdom???


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