Today I had coffee with a friend who loves to listen. Holly is so good at getting me to open up and talk about things I don’t normally talk about. Every time I ask her a question she turns it around and asks me something that peels another layer from my heart.
I used to feel bad that she gets me to do most of the talking when we’re together, but then I realized she is most comfortable listening. It is a gift. I always leave our times together feeling loved, encouraged and listened to.
I want to take the gift Holly gives me as a friend and give it to the One who listens to me day and night. I want to become such a God-listener that when I have coffee with Him, after we’re finished with our sweet time and I get up to do life, (even though He goes with me) I want His heart to be so deeply touched that His whispers, “Wow, she just listened. She asked all about me. We talked about what’s on my heart, my mind, in my thoughts. She went on and on about how she appreciates me. She spent time simply thanking me for all that I do. Even when I asked about her dreams and burdens, she turned it around and asked about mine. Renee was more concerned about me than she was about herself. I feel so loved, encouraged and listened to after spending time with her.”
Wouldn’t it be amazing if those were God’s thoughts after our time with Him?
Not only would we be giving to the One who gives so much to us, but imagine how our perspectives would be changed. Our outlook on life and ourselves would be completely transformed if we set our eyes on Him alone. Instead of focusing on what we may think is wrong with us, we’d be consumed by all that is right with Him.
Stay with me now, what if we took the magnifying glass we look through each day as we focus on our concerns and instead we placed it on God’s character, God’s love, God’s power, God’s provision, God’s strength, God’s glory. Imagine if He was bigger in our eyes than we are? Oh that it would be so!
I want to be a woman who listens to God – not the accuser, not my doubt, not my critical thoughts, not my fears. I want to stop thinking so much about me and start thinking more about HIM! I want to be a woman who hears His voice above all the others. It’s up to me to stop talking and start listening.
During my coffee-talk with Jesus today, while He brews my faith with His love and truth, I am going to ask, seek, soak, drink and believe. I am going to thank Him, love Him, encourage Him and listen to HIM! Won’t you join me?
If you found my blog through my P31 devotion today entitled, What’s Wrong with Me? , thanks for stopping by. I’d love to hear your thoughts about becoming a woman who listens to God instead of our own criticisms. I’ll be giving away my CD – Speak to Me Lord, I’m Listening and I’ll share more in the coming days about my journey of listening to Him. Now it’s your turn, click “comments” below to share your heart and enter the drawing. Be sure to include your email address.
WOW, Renee! The Lord has undeniably spoken directly to me through your devotion today. Let me share with you how it all played out…
I called a friend today to ask for her advice. You see, I am a people pleaser by nature…so much so that I anylize everything I’ve said or might say to make sure I’m not hurting someone’s feelings or being misinterpretted. My friend knows this about me, so when I started feeling like the ‘people pleaser’ in me was about to go over the edge (WHY would I worry about a conversation I’ve had for hours and sometimes days??? WHY would I misinterpret my friends’ frustration over an issue that had nothing to do with me as being something about me??? WHY do I become become obsessed about people’s opinions of me? SURELY this is not “normal”. What is WRONG with me???) I decided to give her a call to help talk me back into reality.
So can you guess what my friend was doing at the EXACT moment I was calling to ask her “What is wrong with me?”??? That’s right…at that very moment she was reading YOUR devotion which she promptly directed me attention to.
Yes, I am printing it out and holding on to it dearly because I know that it was a love letter straight from my Father. 🙂
Thank you for that amazing gift today!
With love and blessings,
Lisa H.
[email protected]
Hey Renee! I feel like it’s been a year since I have read your blog! I have missed it so much! My hubby and I went out of town last weekend for our tenth anniversary, and the cabin we were in was REALLY secluded, NO phone or internet! I have to admit though, it was nice having peace and quiet and just enjoying each other. I guess God felt like we needed more of that because when we got home, our phone and internet were down! But all is remedied now! So, I’m back!(not that anyone but me noticed I was gone! Ha! Ha!)
I loved what you had to say! I am soooo guilty of pouring out my woes and frustrations to God, and not letting Him get a word in, before I find myself complaining again. I really needed to hear this today. It’s been a rough, emotional day today, and instead of praising God and thanking Him for all that is “right with Him” I’ve been consumed with how down I’ve been and all that seems to be wrong with me. I need to focus on Him being bigger than myself and my issues. I think some praise and worship time is in order! Thank you for sharing and helping me to get back on track today, I want to be focused on Him more than me! God Bless! April
Great insight! Loved your message! God has given me the scripture: Be still and Know that I am God. I am so thrilled to be able to be still and take a time out from one of my responsibilities in BSF. I will be leaving this year after 8 years here and feel so grateful that God has called me to just Be still and Know Him. All I truly desire in life is more of JESUS!!!! Tanya- [email protected]
I spent most of my growing up believing I was not wanted by my mother. She and dad divorced when I was 12. I was my daddy’s girl because I look like him, stand like him and have his attitude. When mom took me away from my dad to live with her new husband, I watched my daddy cry. I began having grand mall seizures for the next 7 years. I was diagnosed as being epileptic. All thru Jr. high and high school I felt inadequate. Then I prayed to God, “why do I have epilepsy? I’m just a little girl, I didn’t do anything wrong.” At the age of 18 I found out that I didn’t have epilepsy any more. I have always tried to do what God wants me to do. I would not do anything to anyone. I respect people for who they are. I do not gossip about people. I know that God can hear what I say and He sees what I do, therefore I would not want Him to frown on me for something I did that He did not like. I know He is with me, always. I am very sensitive and I believe what people say, and I trust them. When my close family members frown on me for something they don’t like about me, that bothers me and I cannot let it go. I want to be a good person. God made me good, I know that. He is the only friend I have to talk to. I can be truthful to Him. But I also want to be more proud of myself for who I am. I am a good person, I never smoked or consumed alcohol and if I didn’t want my children to do certain things, then my husband I would set an example for them by not doing it either. Our children are good people, too. They serve God. God has given us many blessings. Now if I could just shake this inferiority complex, I would be happier.
Thanks for your posts! I am reading Lysa’s book right now on being a women who says yes to God. It is inspiring and exciting!
I really want to be sensitive to His Spirit each day…to obey each little nudge he sends my way. I want a soft heart to serve Him and in turn serve and love others! Thanks for your blog…it’s uplifting! 🙂
Wow, what an awesome post! I needed to be reminded to make my prayer a two-way street–not just listing my prayer concerns or even my praise, but listening to God’s voice, too. How wonderful to think about sitting with God as a friend and being an encouraging listener to Him!
I definitely need to do more listening!!
Hi,
I’m so glad I checked my inbox today, I have been taken lessons in learning how to drive, took my road test this morning and failed…I didn’t cry, i just went numb, wondering what’s wrong with me. It always takes me so long to get anything right, like graduating from High School, College, even my relationship with the Lord, I just get so fed up always failing, being slow at doing things right the 1st time around…anyways, thanks for blog this morning, it helped get my eyes off of me and back on Him.
God Bless!
Thank you for you post. Very thought provoking.
Blessings,
Nancy
[email protected]
Wow, you have me drewling with joy. Yes, my heart desires to hear God claiming me to be His friend-a God-listener friend. That would be just sweet.
I learned that when we joyfully focus on God, no matter how big our problems are, it gets smaller as we focus on God more intensely.
“What’s wrong with me”. I have been asking myself that same question for some time regarding my struggle with losing weight. I have dangerously high cholesterol, and I need to get this under control. It seems like I can go along really good for a couple of days and then all of a sudden I do everything wrong and a little voice in my head is telling me what a loser I am because I have messed up again. I of course rebuke this voice and ask for God’s help. I need help and guidance on how to accomplish my goal for losing this extra weight that is causing health issues. I feel like I am locked in a place I can’t get out of and I also know that is a lie and that God is with me every step of the way. I need suggestions and help with this issue. Thank you.
I find my conversations with God most often a one-way street, simply because I fail to take the time to be still and listen. My heart knows He has so much to say to me! I find myself always in such a rush that I fail to take the time to really really listen. Thanks for your insight!
Blessings!
I just had a talk with myself this morning and decided I am going to quit organizing and angonizing over the details of my life. I’m going to let God take care of the details and I plan to follow his directions.
This is my first time on your blog and it definitely will not be the last. I’m glad I took the time to study my Encouragement for Today email!
Diana
[email protected]
Thank you so much for today’s devotion. On my commute to work this morning, I was bombarded with almost every one of the “what’s wrong with me” issues you listed. I felt like a total failure.
I don’t always read the devotions on the day they arrive . . .this morning I did and it was by no mistake!
Thank you for your encouragement and for reminding me that I actively need to take my thoughts captive asking for the Lord’s perspective and thoughts.
Blessings to you and the prov 31 ministries.
I love this post today. This morning in my Bible reading time, I’m afraid my mind wandered. Shopping list, things I needed to day today, the thing I said to my daughter last night that made her cry, the bills that needed paid.
I was not paying attention to God this morning, and I wasn’t listening to His heart today.
Thanks for the reminder.
I am working to silence the “I should have…” that really says, “What is wrong with you? Why didn’t you….?” It is always good to know I am not alone in my struggle to allow myself to make mistakes along the path to becoming who God made me to be. Thanks for the devotional and post.
What a heart-challenging writing! Tears filled my eyes as I read your comments from “God” as you anticipated His response to your listening heart! Intimacy with Him! Such a longing of my own heart. And so well expressed! We are so “busy” talking, ….Oh Father, draw me to Your knee and do what it takes to shut my mouth!! When I meet with You each morning “I” dominiate the time …” So convicting ….Can you imagine heaven?? Speechless at last we will be! But how my heart longs for His will ..”on earth, as it is in heaven.” May He quiet your heart today to hear Him speak your name …and may we sit together in silence at His feet.
I really enjoyed your devotion on Proverbs31 Ministries today Renee. I was struggling with this just yesterday, the negative talk, what’s wrong with me? Thank you for reminding me that God made me and loves me just the way I am.
As far as your blog about listening…I consider myself a good listener. Many times I, like your friend, would rather listen to someone else than be heard. Wouldn’t it be something if I listened to God with the focus I listen to others? You have sparked a desire in me to hear more what God has to say to me, the person he fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank you.
I really needed to read your devotional today, and reading your blog really underscored the point for me. What you said about listening to the accuser’s lies instead of focusing on who I am in Christ resonated deeply with me.
I’m getting married in just shy of three months, and the anxiety I feel from this huge commitment is immense. My parents have been divorced for ten years and its always cast a shadow of doubt for me–I wonder if I’ll end up like them. I can see in my life that God has designed my future husband and I to serve Him together and that our relationship is a blessing somehow to the Kingdom. But I only see this if I look very closely. The enemy is much better at clouding my view of the truth with issues of sin, fear, and failure.
I want to reply to his lies with Psalm 139:14, and then I want to stop focusing on what I fear, and embracing the joy, peace, and hope that God extended to me through his Son.
Thank you so much for opening your heart and sharing. You’ve really encouraged me today!
(P.S. my email for the drawing is [email protected] Thanks!)
I have never been a very good listener…I’m guilty of thinking about what I could say while I’m supposed to be listening. This challenge is one I will definetly take on and improve my listening skills, starting first with God. Thank You
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” That says it all – I have re-dedicated my life to the Lord several years ago after my husband passed away. My “eyes” and “ears” have been opened up to so many of the lies I listened to and fed myself. Thank you for your devotions.
This is my first time visiting your blog, and your post today was very encouraging. I am coming to a place in the Lord where hearing His voice and having His heart are paramount. How can I know Him and be like Him if I don’t spend time cultivating the art of listening.
My eight year old daughter, Hannah, is a beautiful reminder to me of just how simple this is to do. She has been taught to wait on God and listen to what He says…and He speaks to her and through her so effortlessly when she quiets herself down and receives from the God she knows loves her so very much. Many times the Lord will use her to speak something to me – how humbling. I am so thankful to the Lord. If my little one can hear Him than my excuses and fears are unfounded.
It is my prayer that we all become more like Jesus. He only did what He saw and heard the Father doing and saying; and that was a product of the intimate relationship He had with the Father. I agree with what you wrote so beautifully today about your precious friend Holly. We don’t get to know someone by talking. We get to know them by listening and showing our love for them through our questions and concerns for their heart.
Thank you for your contribution to the body of Christ, and thank you for who you are, Renee. God made a super great thing when He made wonderful you!
Many Blessings,
Paula
I read your devotional today. It was really timely. Last night I was really beating myself up, and I was feeling the after effects of it this morning, in the midst of trying to be cheerful and encouraging for my kids. I struggle so much with the lies that I am worthless, a mistake, unwanted. I have been struggling major depression for about 10 years now, and it has been a long hard road. Praise God that He got me to a Christian counselor recently, and we have started to work through some of the issues and negative self talk. I pray that someday I will be able to see myself as God sees me, consistently.
thank you so much for your insightful comments.
God Bless,
Heather
[email protected]
Listening is a fine art. I sometimes have to force myself to stop and pay attention and listen to my husband when he’s talking about work, etc. I know how much it means to me when someone truly listens to me full attention and it’s something I need to work on more. Focusing on listening to God also I am sure would be life-changing!
Renee,
The truth that you reminded me of was powerful today. Thanks for speaking from your heart. I met you and Lysa on the cruise…and have been reading your blogs ever since. We are waiting to adopt our little girl from China and I feel like during my quiet time I’ve done all the talking about little “Emily”. God has much to say to me…I need to shut my mouth and open my ears!
Thanks Christine
[email protected]
Thank you for this thought provoking post Renee. You are a treasure.
Hey Renee,
Great post & devotion today.
Thanks for sharing your heart.
Margaret
This is so good. I hog the conversation with God way too much.
I had given up on God this past year.Realizing again that I needed Him, I have been trying very hard to spend time with Him each day. My attitude is changing from negative to positive right before my eyes. The enemy will always try to get me down but if I focus on God daily then Satan is going to have a VERY DIFFICULT time discouraging me!I am putting alot of my efferts into listening to His voice during my prayer time.Sometimes I don’t realize that He needs to hear mine more often.A sincere prayer life comes from discipline. I think God is working on me in this area, among many others!! 🙂
~Cheri [email protected]
Renee …
For the past year, I have been praying for God to reveal to me His plan for my life. It has only been in the past couple of months that I have allowed myself to get quiet enough to hear His words. My husband and I both have heard His words, and now we are taking a giant step of faith … and it is probably one of the scariest steps we have ever taken as a family, but we know that it is of God and He will provide and protect us during this time.
Thanks for your incredible insights and your encouragement!
carlyn
[email protected]
Regarding the self talk devotion from 2/21…it was just what the doctor ordered. My 15 year old daughter has recently been very critical of her beautiful body. I have tried to encourage her but “moms have to love the way their children look!” So I was able to forward the devotional to her today so that she could read an unbiased opinion based on God’s word…Satan really works to have a foothold on teens thru the media, TV and thru friends. We need to be good role models to our girls with this self-talk issue…I am guilty of not being the best model of that behavior! thanks for the reminder!
This really hit me this morning. I have been struggling with self-worth and the “what is wrong with me question”. And you hit the nail right on the head. Thank you for writing and addressing this issue. I know that God speaks in so many different ways. He was really speaking to me on this one. I have such a hard time with self-worth for various reasons. And I know that God doesn’t let us go through more then we can handle, and without the trials I have had, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Thank you for reminding me that I am worthy.
I am not sure how to listen to God or how to tell if it is really him that is talking. But this really made a lot of sense. I am the listener and never thought of it as a gift before today. Because when you are the listener, you are usually never listened too. Thank you for reminding me that God will listen and lead. I just have to know how to listen and follow. This is hard for me,as I was never taught what to listen for or how to listen. Praise God for having you publish this today.
I’m actually here to leave you a comment about the “Encouragement Today” posting I received this morning called, “What’s Wrong With Me?”
I just wanted to say that I recently (In October 07) learned about my negative self talk and realized that while I’m a great encourager of others, I was terrible in the habit of saying terrible things to myself. I sat down at my desk here at work this morning feeling this big boulder of grief on my heart for no apparent reason. I forgot that I am learning how to be kinder and more encouraging to myself and started down the old path. I opened up the encouragement today email and your words were just exactly what I needed to hear. I love how God does that! God used you this morning. Thank you for being willing to share your heart.
Chuck Swindol ( I hope it was him) once said when he is looking for an answer from God, he would go to bed at night. Before he would fall asleep he would say “speak to me Lord, your servant is listening.” I think of this often as I am on a journey of finding God’s will for my life. I would like to adopt some waiting children. I even already have them picked out….
I woke up just before 4:30am this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. I decided I would use this extra hour and a half to quiet my heart before the Lord and listen to Him. I would seek His thoughts. Tell God of my love for Him. Thank Him for all He is doing in my life. It would be God time, not “me” time. Easier said then done. How frustrated I was becoming as so often I caught myself drifting back to me, my dreams, my desires, my needs. I couldn’t believe how my mind kept wandering back to ME!
I’m looking to God for specific direction right now in my life and I must say I envy the clearness of communication that men like Moses received. I don’t have a burning bush in my yard. No writing on the wall or in the sand. Haven’t had direction from a donkey. BUT, I do believe that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever and I KNOW He still speaks and can invade my thoughts. I pray that even the deepest part of me would be tuned to His quietest whisper. For now, God calls me to wait. I think it was Priscilla Shirer who wrote, “There is a direct correlation between your level of anticipation to hear from God and your willingness to wait.” So, with eagerness, I sit quietly and trust Him. Even more than hearing from Him, I want my desire to just be with Him – to know Him and to love Him.
There’s a chorus we sing in our church that is my prayer today:
“Just to be in Your presence,
Sitting at your feet
And to know that when I’m with You
My joy will be complete
Just to feel Your tender touch divine
To know I’m Your’s and You are mine
Just to be in Your presence
Is where I long to be.”
Renee, Just what I needed to hear today. I am listening to your Mining Children CD, it’s great. Thanks for your words.
Cindy
[email protected]
I am currently attending a Bible study by Priscilla Shirer on Discerning the Voice of God. It is awesome! I have so nmany things going on around me that I hardly take time to stop and listen for God to speak to me. I love your blog and look forward to reading it each morning. I get the Proverbs 31 magazine and it is WONDERFUL! Thank you for all you do! You are an inspiration to me.
Hi Renee! This is my first visit to your blog and my first post. I am a huge fan of P31 as I have a couple of close friends on the staff. I wish I had more time each day to read everyones blogs! Anyway, this morning I read your devotion (from a couple of days ago) regarding what I enjoy doing and what I’d like to do if finances were not a factor. That really made me think and like you I’m just not sure. I have often said that my purpose in life is to make God look good (like He needs me!!); but meaning that I want to be completely His to do whatever he wants me to do that day. But you know I stay so busy I’m not sure that I’m really fulfulling that purpose? I know you know what I mean… I hope there are others too because sometimes I do listen to the lies of the enemy and think I’m the only one who feels that way. I know my spiritual gifts are mercy and encouragement. I’m growing to love those gifts although quite hard at times, particularly with the mercy gift. I made a note to check out both your “Uniquely You” book and the Personality Plus book. I think this is a nudging from the LORD. I feel like I just dabble in a little bit of this and that depending on who or what needs my attention. So thank you for being real; I’m seeing a shift in the women I’m around to be more real with each other. I thank the Lord for His work in changing hearts in this direction! Much love, Dawn
Wow! And I thought your roadblocks or rest stops post got to me! 🙂 Listening to God can be difficult, but it can be done. Putting to bed our flesh, our mind, can be a daunting task to say the least, but if we truly seek God’s voice, He will be faithful to provide it. Speak to me Lord, let me hear Your voice. Let me not be concerned with myself or the world, Lord, but let me be totally focused on You…who You are, what You are doing. Thank You, Lord Jesus! And thank you, Renee, for really touching my heart through your words. God knew that I needed to hear them!
Rebecca
[email protected]
I find my conversations with God most often a one-way street, simply because I fail to take the time to be still and listen. My heart knows He has so much to say to me! I find myself always in such a rush that I fail to take the time to really really listen. Thanks for your insight!
Blessings!
I just had a talk with myself this morning and decided I am going to quit organizing and angonizing over the details of my life. I’m going to let God take care of the details and I plan to follow his directions.
This is my first time on your blog and it definitely will not be the last. I’m glad I took the time to study my Encouragement for Today email!
Diana
[email protected]
Thanks so much for sharing your heart and encouraging us to seek Christ! I want to focus so much on the LORD instead of my daily situations.
God created me to be an intercessor, so for 20 some years I heard His whispers, sitting at His feet throughout my days. The intimacy was amazing. Six years ago He allowed me to go to a new place and I’ve heard only His silence—so many things that defined me have been stripped away, yet He has kept me from walking away. My circumstances do not define who God is but oh how I long for that intimacy again.
I really enjoyed your devotion on Proverbs31 Ministries today Renee. I was struggling with this just yesterday, the negative talk, what’s wrong with me? Thank you for reminding me that God made me and loves me just the way I am.
As far as your blog about listening…I consider myself a good listener. Many times I, like your friend, would rather listen to someone else than be heard. Wouldn’t it be something if I listened to God with the focus I listen to others? You have sparked a desire in me to hear more what God has to say to me, the person he fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank you.
Renee …
For the past year, I have been praying for God to reveal to me His plan for my life. It has only been in the past couple of months that I have allowed myself to get quiet enough to hear His words. My husband and I both have heard His words, and now we are taking a giant step of faith … and it is probably one of the scariest steps we have ever taken as a family, but we know that it is of God and He will provide and protect us during this time.
Thanks for your incredible insights and your encouragement!
carlyn
[email protected]
Chuck Swindol ( I hope it was him) once said when he is looking for an answer from God, he would go to bed at night. Before he would fall asleep he would say “speak to me Lord, your servant is listening.” I think of this often as I am on a journey of finding God’s will for my life. I would like to adopt some waiting children. I even already have them picked out….
God created me to be an intercessor, so for 20 some years I heard His whispers, sitting at His feet throughout my days. The intimacy was amazing. Six years ago He allowed me to go to a new place and I’ve heard only His silence—so many things that defined me have been stripped away, yet He has kept me from walking away. My circumstances do not define who God is but oh how I long for that intimacy again.
Just this morning, during my time with God I was asking Him to help me with not making this new journey that He is revealing in layer’s all about “me” “Lord who can I be a blessing to today? Turns out my best friend who lives 12 hours away has been having some
“Tests” in her life. By the time, her and I talked, her spirit seemed to be a little bit lifted before she went back to face some more challenges. I am so thankful for a friend who not only will listen but who will open up so I can listen.
There are times when I just sit and say Lord I am listening to you.
Focusing on HIM is somthing that I am learning to do more of.
I love that He is always there for us He never leaves us nor forsakes us.Jesus listens.
It is easy to get caught up in the business with all we have to do.
So, thank you for the reminder to just stop and listen not only to Him, but to the others that just need a ear.
with blessings,
Rachel
[email protected]
I love what you write here —Instead of focusing on what we may think is wrong with us, we’d be consumed by all that is right with Him. I had never thought of it like that at all, that focusing on all that is right with HIM would put everything else in perspective.
It’s interesting that we so often think of listening as a passive activity with talking being active. Listening is hard work. More than just hearing, it is attending to the details of what is said.
I guess we all need to be like Samuel and say, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”
Thanks for sharing. Have a blessed week.
So glad I checked your blog one more time before heading to bed. I desire to be a God-listener. So much of my time with the Lord is spent talking and I need to learn the art of listening. I know the Lord has much to say to me.
Speak Lord, I am listening.
PS. I know exactly what you mean about Holly. Although I only spent a few hours with her, that’s exactly what I have been saying about her. She somehow drew more out of me in a short time than most people ever learn about me. She is a treasure.