When I was a teenager, I drove a little Honda Accord. I could either run the air conditioning or play music (not both simultaneously!). Even in the dog days of summer, I found great delight in rolling down the windows, turning up the volume, and letting the swell of music roll over me as I drove.
These days I treasure quiet even more than I did the music back then. But even in the quiet, we can hear so much. The music of birdsong amidst a flurry of wings. Whispers and giggles of children. My little boy humming as he builds lego. The steady thrum of appliances – a testament to the luxuries of our life. The closing of a car door, signaling my husband’s return from work (and the subsequent thundering of little feet to meet him with joyous cries at the door).
What we hear – what we listen to – affects us deeply. It also speaks of our character.
An evildoer listens to wicked lips,
and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue ~ Proverbs 17:4
The speaker of course holds a great responsibility. Are my words true? Necessary? Helpful?
Yet the listener, too, bears responsibility. Do we tolerate gossip, slander, and lies? Or do we seek out the truth? Do we heed the wisdom of those who love us? Do we pause long enough to catch the still small voice of God? The words of scripture?
My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding…..
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God. ~ Proverbs 2:1-5
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ~ John 10:27
Who and what are you listening to?
Photo by Vincent van Zalinge on Unsplash
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