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.
Thank you for sharing some of your heart with us and your own convictions. It has reminded me of whose I am, not who I am. I believe with all my heart that if I started making it a habit to meditate and reflect on who God is–his attributes and character–my life would be so incredibly different, so full of ZOE life–the life Jesus died to give to us, to me [John 10:10]. Thank you for reminding us that this Treasure belongs to all of us who are in Christ Jesus, and we would be foolish not to open it up and take all the wealth out and pour it into our own lives and the lives of others. Thank you for being an instrument of His peace and His revelation to us. Nora
Wow, now to see if I can use only a few words. This spoke directly to my heart. I love to talk way too much. I have been trying to listen to Him and not run to Him constantly thru the day with my needs….I did try a week of fasting from asking for anything for myself. I would turn my intercession time into praising Him and it was very hard to do, but it really does put the focus on Him and not me. You have inspired me to do that again. We are really needing some crystal clear answers from Him. We need to hear His heart. Thanks..I knew i couldn’t be short, I did try. Blessings…Mary Lou at dlowran1(at)comcast(dot) net
I just read yesterday’s devotion, “What’s wrong with me?”. I struggle witht heis question all the time. Thank you for reminding me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Iwas just going through something exactly like this in my life- I always think what is wrong with me – I want to say thank you for the encouragement to stop doing that to myself – and focus on HIM.
I love this post, Renee. It is a daily exercise for me to tune into what God is saying to me. I really have to practice. I have spent so much of my life looking out for me, that it is a foreign concept to realize that He has been there all along! Your affirmation of Holly’s gift will be a blessing to her, I am sure. Thank you for the blessing of your words this morning!
I just read yesterday’s devotion, “What’s wrong with me?”. I struggle witht heis question all the time. Thank you for reminding me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
I struggle so much with negative self talk. I would never say such things to any of my friends, and always encourage them to refrain from saying negative things about themselves – after all, God made them unique. Well, it’s also true for me, and God is showing me that if I confront those negative thoughts when they come into my head and make it a point to contradict them with scripture – What God says about me, it exposes them for the lies they are. God loves me just the way I am, and he wants me to set my thoughts on things from above and praise him with everything I do and say and think.
Renee, let me keep this simple…Thank You.
I try very hard to listen to what God has to say to me but when you are in a marriage when all you husband has nothing but bad things to say to you its hard, your not a good mom, you can’t cook, you are always late it never stops.
God please speake to me!!