Listen!

There are times when you see or hear something and you just can't get it out of your head.  So it has been this week.  I follow a website that makes Bible based cartoons.  Some are really funny but one I saw this week got me thinking about listening.  This is the cartoon in question. (You can find this and more here)  







That also reminded me of a video that was on youtube and going the rounds on Facebook - about a 3 year old who was trying to explain to his mother just why he should have cupcakes when she had already said that he couldn't.  She was patiently listening to him and explaining that he was not having cupcakes for dinner and she was putting them  away and that 'NO he couldn't have any!'  He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer and kept on saying 'yes but listen to me', 'you aren't listening to me'.  Ah the frustrations that causes.  ( You can hear it Here)

The thing is that for many, as with the small boy, listening is synonymous with agreeing with.  How often do we say that people are just not listening to us when really we mean that they continue to disagree with what we are saying.  Another friend on Facebook and Blogworld has recently had similar problems with something he wrote and quite a backlash of disapproval because others disagreed.  They tried to convince him that he was wrong and in a sense that he wasn't listening to their explanations when really the point was that they didn't agree with what he said when all he was doing was expressing his thoughts and opinions at this point in his life journey.  We so often want to explain everything and accept things as long as they are within our own sphere of thinking but cannot accept anything that might be a bit different.  How often God must want to lead us further and evolve our thinking but we remain adamant that what we think is right and cannot be changed.

The cartoon at the beginning of this post brought home to me how many times God's presence is amazing and we have some wonderful experience and then we try to interpret it in a way that is for our benefit.  Our thoughts are focused on the experience itself rather than on what God is saying through it.  We have what we think are good ideas and ask God to bless our project instead of asking Him and listening to what He wants us to do with what He has revealed.  Again many think that some wonderful spiritual experience or high is for our own benefit and somehow a sign that we are maybe a little more worthy than others to receive such an experience or that it points to our higher position in the perceived spiritual hierarchy.  Those who pray/speak in tongues or have had visions or seen angels often have a sort of 'holier than thou' attitude when talking about it.  How often we wallow in our own sense of piety instead of asking why God has revealed Himself in such a way.  Really God is using it to get our attention in order to listen to His message.  Such experiences are usually not for our benefit but to equip us for what we are to go on to accomplish for Him.

The disciples wanted to stay on the Mount of Transfiguration.  They wanted to preserve the moment by making monuments.  Jesus' response was to go back down the mountain; there were needy people waiting; there was work to be done.  The mountain top experience was to encourage, strengthen and prepare for the work that was to follow.  If all we want to do is to keep enjoying the moment; if the objective is to recreate some experience then we miss the point.  Or as my dear mother used to say - some people are so heavenly minded they are no earthly use!  How often Jesus said 'He that has ears let him hear!'  And how often I have been a bit hard of hearing.