Listening: The Posture of a Disciple
Jesus once said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). He wasn’t talking about an abstract idea but about a living relationship, one where being known and being led go together. Listening is not an extra skill for the especially spiritual; it is the posture of every disciple. Steven Bartlett observed that people often have something close to a spiritual experience when someone truly listens to them without an agenda. That makes sense. When we know we’re seen and heard, something opens in us. The same is true in the life of faith: the more we understand that we are known by Christ, the more ready we are to listen to His voice and to the people He’s placed in our lives.
Most of us are not very good at this. We live in a world that rewards quick reactions and constant noise. We hurry through our days, talk over each other, and even when we pray we often come with our speeches already prepared. James gives us another way: “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). Try slowing down. Cancel an evening’s plans, shut down the TV and your phone, and sit for a while. The silence will feel strange, but then you notice things, the thoughts you’ve been pushing aside, the voice of the Spirit nudging you, the burdens your friends are carrying. That’s when listening begins to do its work.
The story of God’s people shows again and again that listening is central to life with Him. The Hebrew word Shema— “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4)—doesn’t mean just hear; it means hear and obey. Israel’s flourishing in the promised land depended on whether they would listen to the Lord’s words (Deuteronomy 30:20). Moses listened to the wisdom of his father-in-law and reshaped the way Israel was governed (Exodus 18:24). Jesus often ended His parables by saying, “Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Matthew 13:9). In Acts 13:2 the early church, gathered in prayer and fasting, heard the Spirit speak and sent out Barnabas and Saul. From start to finish, the story of Scripture shows that God speaks and His people flourish when they learn to listen.
Listening also holds a community together. Paul urges us to “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). That requires more than polite words; it calls for slowing down long enough to notice the joys and sorrows in someone else’s life. We cannot rejoice or mourn with one another if we are always rushing ahead, eager to speak, or trying to fix things before we understand them. Humility makes this possible; it restrains the impulse to correct and creates space for grace to do its quiet work (Philippians 2:3–4).
Listening in worship matters as much as listening in conversation. When Scripture is read aloud, we believe that God is speaking into the room, not just words on a page but the living Word addressing us together. That moment deserves our full attention. The same posture applies when we listen to each other. Focusing on a friend, their eyes, their pauses, the words they do not say,draws us beneath the surface of casual talk. Often, in that stillness, we sense the Spirit’s gentle encouragement and see what someone truly needs. Such listening is more than courtesy; it becomes a way we join in God’s care for His people.
At its heart, listening answers the quiet questions every human carries: Do I matter? Am I loved? The way we listen tells people the truth about those questions. A church that listens well reflects the heart of the Shepherd who knows His sheep by name (John 10:3). To be that kind of church we will need to slow down; to be present; to act on what we hear. Jesus said, “Consider carefully how you listen” (Luke 8:18). He meant it. Listening isn’t a side practice for disciples; it’s the way we walk behind Him.
A Final Reflection
Will you slow down this week, long enough to hear Jesus’ voice? Will you sit with Scripture until the words settle in and start to shape you? Who in your life has been speaking, but you’ve been too distracted to notice? Who around you needs the gift of your quiet presence so they know they matter and are loved? These are not questions to answer quickly. They’re questions to carry with you, if we let them lead us to a different way of living: a life that listens.
Pastor Eric
