Are You Listening?

I've been endeavoring to write "my" book on "listening" for myself, doubting it would ever be published. But I'm finding that to have a cohesive order, it's going to take a lot longer than I had planned. So some of the material in today's post may be repeat, in order to bring some continuity.


Listening has been one of my strengths. It is one of the blessings of stuttering. Can’t talk? Gotta listen! For a quarter of a century I made a living listening as a private practice counselor. I’m attentive to people. But I’m finding as I endeavor to “practice the presence of God” as Brother Lawrence described in the 1600’s, I’m having difficulty listening to God.

Oh, I hear Him through consistent Bible study/memorizing. I take heed to what people I respect teach me about God and what He says. I pay attention to circumstances, especially adversity, because God often speaks the most loudly to me in that manner. But to hear His voice? Not so sharp.

Hear His voice? Burwick, you must be kidding. You’ve counseled with people who hear voices - who think that God told them to do some outlandish behavior. They end up in the psych ward on mind-altering medication.

One precious middle aged woman, one who was in church every time the doors were open, thought she was the virgin Mary and heard her son Jesus tell her He was coming back to earth shortly so she should give away all of her possessions. Which she began to do until her husband hospitalized her.

Hear God’s voice? That could be tricky business. Is the voice I hear from God? Is it my own thinking? Is it a voice from the evil one masquerading as God’s tone? Is it like the “virgin mary” – voices to a confused mind? Can He actually whisper words to the listening ears of my soul? Is His voice audible or just nudges or impressions? Except for the motivation to an ever deepening intimacy with God, I don’t know if I would want to go there.

Then I was confronted with John 10:27 Jesus saying, “My sheep listen to my voice and they follow.” Jesus speaks. I’m to listen. Then I’m to obey. But I’m having a dickens of a time trying to hear His voice. I thought I was a good listener. The failure to hear God is what prompted the study of the word “listen” and the subsequent writing of this material.

Tomorrow: horizontal listening.