Listening

Much has been said in the recent General Elections that the government has not been listening enough to the people.  Hence the groundswell of discontent gets magnified in the megaphone of the opposition voices.  And after the results of the election, there has been a lot of soul searching in the ranks of the PAP.  Ministers are saying that listening must cascade down to the rank and file of the civil service as well as at the grassroots level where MPs interact with the populace.  This would hopefully make for more robust debates in parliament where the elected representatives are to be sounding boards for the people they serve.  Certainly the needs of various segments of our community should not be neglected as the nation seeks to progress.

The tagline of Prudential is "Always Listening. Always Understanding."  Implicit in this is that they would listen to the needs of their clients to see how they could serve better.  Listening is an art and for those of us who are not the auditory type, it would take a lot from us to register what was spoken.  We know from experience, too, that if we listen to a speech or a lecture only a small percentage (10%) gets retained unless it is supplemented by visuals and actions (like writing down).  It is often embarrassing if we speak to a person and we forget his/her name half way through the conversation.   One way to overcome this is to try to associate the name with something or someone.  Going one step further, it would be good to jot down the name somewhere to remind you of the conversation you had with so and so.  With mobile phone devices easily available, this shouldn't be difficult unless one is simply too lazy.

I was reading Jeremiah 25 recently: "So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah and to all those living in Jerusalem: For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—the word of the LORD has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. And though the LORD has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention. They said, “Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the LORD gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.”  “But you did not listen to me,” declares the LORD, “and you have aroused my anger with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves.” (v2-7 NIV)

For the above passage, we see that the Israelites were not listening or heeding the voice of God spoken through His servants the prophets.  Three times within the six verses is the indictment, "You have not listened".  Many of them were practising selective hearing, that is, they prefer to hear the words of false prophets who promised them greater ease rather than the judgment God was about to bring on the nation.  Because they chose not to hear and as a result chose not to obey God's word, they brought calamity on themselves (v8-11).  Jeremiah himself suffered greatly due to his proclamation of God's words to His people. God preserved his life to see the destruction of Jerusalem, in which he lamented over her in the Book of Lamentations.

What about us?  Are we listening to God when He speaks?  Inasmuch as we would like people to listen to us when we speak, God wants us to accord Him with the same kind of respect when He speaks.  When we read the Bible or listen to the Word being read, do we listen attentively or selectively?  The Holy Spirit is in the business of sanctifying us by setting us apart for the Master's use.  He convicts us to enable us to repent and get back on the right path once again.  In contrast, the devil brings condemnation and seeks to douse our spiritual flame. 

In the coming age, God promises, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." (Is 65:24).  Isn't that amazing - God listening to the deepest longing of our hearts!  May we learn to be like Him as we serve/interact with people on a daily basis.  As they say, "Seek to understand before you can be understood."