Hearing Is Not Just Listening To Words

by Lester Rennard

When a wife says to her husband or a mother to her child, "Did you hear me!?"; what is it that she is trying to communicate to her husband or child? If you are hearing me correctly, your response would be that she is asking why her requests or instructions are not being acted upon or followed.

When you truly hear what someone is saying, you are not just listening to their words. You demonstrate that you hear what is being said by your action. One cannot truly claim to hear a message while at the same time remaining passive. The New Testament Bible frequently quotes Jesus as saying, "He who has an ear, let him hear" after sharing a parable with His audience.

The implication is that there is something that needs to be heard, understood, applied or acted upon in the parable. One will not usually get it by just surface listening. It requires an intense and active form of listening that involves more than just the ear. It must involve the active engagement of all the senses. In order words, one must be totally absorbed in listening to understand with a desire to apply or act upon what is being said.

The only way that one can truly demonstrate that he or she has heard what has been said is by actively responding in a way that is appropriate to what the message being communicated requires. In the case of the Bible, if I truly hear what God is saying, I will demonstrate it by submission and obedience. That is how I prove that I'm hearing the Word.

In our daily heart to heart communication with those who we care about, we also may demonstrate that we hear what is being said by acting upon the message being sent. When we fail to demonstrate appropriate action, we are actually sending a message that we did not hear what was said. In many instances, we might understand what is being said or requested but choose to ignore it and not comply.

The next time when you are asked to take out the trash or run an errand and after a reasonable time, it is still not done, you are sending a message that you did not hear what was requested of you. Why not instead demonstrate that you hear and understand by generating the appropriate action that corresponds with what the message being sent requires!

Did you hear me!?