LISTENING

Samuel Butler said: "It takes 2 people to say a thing - a sayer and a sayee. The one is just as essential to any true saying as the other. In evangelism, the gospel must ultimately be shared but taking time to listen patiently and respond calmly is an essential part of the process. It is like listening s-l-o-w-l-y .

For illustration, in John 4 with Christ is the woman at the well. He could have blown her away with an endless barrage of verbal artillery. He did not. He genuinely listened when she spoke; He listened slowly. He read the lines of anxiety on her face and felt the weight of guilt in her heart as she talked. He peered deeply in the well of her soul.

Be aware, in listening, the most important thing is allowing room for silence while the other person is thinking and trying to get the words out. Wise is the listener who does not feel compelled to fill up the blank spaces with verbiage.