ListenDaily – 18 November 2010: Wisdom from a friend
Hello friends,
We continue our look at how Jesus talked about the Gospel with an outsider, today, from John 4:10-15:
In response to this passage:
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) "Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
I replied:
I know I keep repeating this -- but it is so important; I am not showing you this to get you to memorize some principles used by the Rabbi, the Teacher. So far, these Divine principles look something like this:
Go where people are.
Talk to them.
Be nice.
Let them talk.
Don't be offended by natural questions.
Tell them that once you got something good, and there's plenty to share.
You will never be able to make a decision for someone else.
God is God.
You're not, but you can plant.
I'm not either, but I can water.
God will still be in charge of making it grow.
My dear friend Sharon responded:
When you say "let them talk" I think it is so important that We REALLY listen-- I feel that very few people are what I would call GOOD listeners-- this includes Christians-- people are always so much more interested in talking it seems then being quiet and just listening-blessings, Sharon
Anyone besides me feeling convicted?
Does God take time to listen to us? Or is He too busy, too much in a hurry, or consider us not as important as His agenda?
The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place. 2 Chronicles 30:27
And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea. 2 Chronicles 33:13
Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Psalm 54:2
God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Psalm 66:19
God, who knows what we are going to say before we speak, yet listens, really listens, because He knows how important it is for us to speak and be heard.
How important, when we are sharing who God is, that we reflect this attribute...by listening.
More tomorrow!
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Questions:
1. What do you think about this perspective?
2. It is always important to listen, how could being a good listener help in sharing Christ? How about NOT listening?
3. Any thoughts on this so far?
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May we try to listen like God. Jim
INTERESTING THOUGHT:
"No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument." Philip Yancey
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