How Are You As A Connector?
Some time ago, while on a walk in a park, I was noticing different kinds of connections between mothers and their toddlers as they strolled along.
Some moms had their coffee cups in hand and their child in tow. Their eyes were glazed over as if in a daze. They were with their child, but at that moment they weren’t “with” anybody.
Some were texting and checking the internet. They were somewhere else in their minds and focus.
Others were doting over their children, overloading them with words, tones, object lessons and tactile experiences. These ladies were MOMs –they were “WITH” their children.
How are you as a connector?
Are you passive and somewhat disconnected?
Are you distracted, often thinking about other things while relating to people?
Are you overborne, smothering others and making it hard for them to breathe emotionally, psychologically, intellectually or physically?
Or, are you able to simply be present with those God brings into your...
Are You Dialing-In?
Sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings – they are bombarding and impacting us all day long. We have to filter out so much of what is coming our way, just to survive. When it’s time to listen to people, however, we need to shift gears. We need to switch our emphasis from screening-out to dialing-in.
Active listening is one of the most important skills you will ever develop. It dials-in your attention toward the person speaking. Good listening is a life-long pursuit, and we need to relentlessly give ourselves to it.
Jesus was the best listener that has walked the planet. You can tell by the way asked and answered questions. His questions often were laser-like, honing in on the heart of the matter. Yet, sometimes His answers seemed almost unrelated to the questions that were asked of Him.
At first glance, He might have appeared to be missing the point, or not really listening, or disvaluing the question. But, soon it became apparent that His...
Are You Positioned to Hear From God?
What do people mean when they say they “hear God’s voice?” Can everyone hear God? Do people have the same capacity and/or ability to hear the Lord? Does the Lord “speak” more often or more clearly in some places and at some times than others?
The book of 1 Samuel notes, “In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.” (1 Sam. 3:1). Apparently, there are different dispensations regarding the frequency and clarity of God's communication. Approximately 3,100 years ago the people of God were not experiencing much of the revelation of God. Then Samuel was born, and God started communicating boldly through the prophets.
In the New Testament, the book of Hebrews begins, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through...
