Listening Hearts
“He thinks he knows everything!”
“Whew, what a know-it-all!”
“You can’t tell him anything!” (or the Southern version, “You can’t tell him nothin’!”)
None of us want people to describe us in those ways.
We need to be teachable like Eli the priest and like King David. When Hannah and Elkanah took their little boy Samuel to live at the Tabernacle and serve the Lord there, he helped Eli.
Eli had really messed up with his sons and he was still messing up with them (1 Samuel 2:12-17 and 3:10-14). One night the Lord called to Samuel while he slept in the Tabernacle. Samuel didn’t realize what was happening at first and thought Eli was calling him. Realizing that the Lord was calling Samuel, Eli instructed the boy to say, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”
The next time the Lord called Samuel, he answered as Eli had instructed. God told Samuel His plan to discipline Eli’s family because of the sins of Eli’s sons and because of Eli’s failure to rebuke them.
Eli didn’t get mad at Samuel. He didn’t say, “I am a priest of God! Why should I listen to a little boy?” Rather Eli listened respectfully and said, “It is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him.”
After King David’s sin of adultery with Bathsheba, God sent Nathan the prophet to rebuke him. King David did not say, “Who do you think you are, talking to a king like that?” King David listened respectfully and said, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Eli was willing to listen to a little boy. King David was willing to listen to one of his subjects. Eli and King David had hearts willing to listen to the truth, no matter who spoke the words.
In both incidents, God could have spoken to these men Himself. He chose instead to send His message through a person. It takes a humble heart to listen to rebuke and instruction from another human being.
Sometimes it is hardest to listen to truth spoken by those who love us best. I remember being at home with young children and falling into the temptation to watch (I can’t believe I’m admitting this to you) soap operas. I wouldn’t waste my time on them now even if they were moral! My sweet husband told me he would like me to stop. I did so immediately and I am so thankful I listened. After that, when a soap opera popped on briefly before a channel was switched, Bethany would say it was a “yucky old soup opera.”
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.
Proverbs 12:15, NASB
I know too well what is like to think you know better than your parents. What a waste of valuable wisdom that is. We miss out on so much when we do not listen to the wisdom of the people who have cared about our well-being since before we were born.
We don’t just miss out, but we dishonor the commands of the Lord, too. The longer I live the more I realize that God’s commands to honor our parents do not have an age limit. When reading about the specific sins of Eli’s sons, it is obvious that these were not young boys, but men, who needed to listen to their father. God also makes it clear that Eli was responsible to rebuke those grown sons. We don’t want to make our parents’ job harder.
Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.
Proverbs 23:22, NASB
The last time we were at our daughter Bethany’s house, she had a long talk with Ray and me about taking care good care of ourselves. No one on earth loves us any more than she does. We listened, took it to heart, and we appreciated it, too.
He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof
Will dwell among the wise.
Proverbs 15:31, NASB
Wives listening to their husbands is accepted as biblical by most homeschooling families, but I don’t remember ever hearing admonitions to adults about listening to parents and children. Of course we must check their counsel to be sure it is in line with God’s word, but listen we must.
God loved us so much that He sent His Son, not only to save us, but to show us how to live. It is our job to show our children how to live. We want them to handle our rebukes well and to listen to our advice. One way to teach them to do that is to handle well the rebukes given to us and to have listening hearts no matter who is talking.
Like an earring of gold
and an ornament of fine gold
Is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
Proverbs 25:12, NASB