First Be A Good Listener

This article will also appear under the title How To Win A Soul 5.

Proverbs 11:30: The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Wise Christians are good listeners. They will listen to God AND they will listen to people.

If we want to lead someone to Christ we must first listen to them. If we want to be a blessing to other Christians we often need to first listen to them. God is the only one who does not have to listen to us to know us. He understandest our thoughts from afar off. Psalms 139:2. The preachers that preach the best are those that listen the best to God AND to people. When it is most obvious that they listen to people is when they are not in the pulpit. A Spirit-filled preacher will often speak things to your heart that only God knows you need to hear because He has heard them from God. The Bible often says about Jesus He answered and said when nobody asked a question. His answers met needs because He knew the answers people needed when they didn*t even know the questions.

Unbelievers and believers are alike in that they all want to be heard. The people you enjoy the most are the ones that are willing to listen to you. People will not be willing to listen to you unless you are willing to listen to them. You can sometimes change people*s willingness to listen to you by being willing to listen to them. If you ignore what people have to say, they will probably ignore what you have to say. When we truly listen to God, He saves us He changes our will completely.

There are some people who will want to do all the talking. They are unreachable. There are some people who will only pretend to listen. There are some who won*t even pretend to listen. Sometimes people will be willing to listen to you after you listen to them for just a little while. Others will be willing to listen to you only after you listen to them for a long time. Some will never want to listen to you.

Some people will not want to talk to you at all. Some may not want to talk to you until they know you are willing to listen. You can often get them started talking by asking them questions. You sometimes need to prove to them that you are listening by responding to what they say.

James 1:19: Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

James 3:17: But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Proverbs 10:19: In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

Proverbs 17:27: He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. 28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

Ecclesiastes 5:1: Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Our ultimate goal should be to get people to listen to God. Once we get them to listen us we can often get them to listen to God. For them to hear from God we must quote or read the Bible because faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17. We shouldn*t even need to discuss here the unnumbered multitude of a believer*s needs that are met by the Bible.

A good way to meet people*s needs is for us to ask them questions and for God to give them the answers.

Care to discuss First Be A Good Listener with Ron?

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