four reasons I need to listen

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 12:15

I can’t succeed in life alone. I never could and I never will. God has created Christian community to offset the foolishness sin has put into my heart. It is a wise thing to seek the advice of others.

I need to listen because my own heart is a sinful echo chamber. I will fixate on either a problem or a perceived solution at the exclusion of other ideas. And then a kind of tunnel vision can get me focused entirely in the wrong direction. The wisdom of Christian community combats this singular fixation.

I need to listen because I struggle with pride. I need to accept that I don’t have all the answers. I need God’s Word spoken to me and applied well in the lives of others to humble me. Pride leads me to trust self —- a sure path to failure. Humility values advice.

I need to listen because I need to grow and change. I am always in need of maturity in some part of my life. Having the helpful insights of trusted Christian friends and leaders helps me follow Jesus better. I can identify the things that aren’t pleasing to Christ. I can apply God’s truth to places where I have been believing lies. I can repent of sin, put on righteousness, and find true life ONLY in the community of fellow followers of Jesus. 

I need to listen because of the noise of the world. I live in a culture of deafening high volume sinful propaganda. And sometimes I imbibe it… even without realizing that I have. And this impossibly twisted culture cannot speak righteousness. So I need to be immersed in the teaching of God’s Word and listen to the voices of Christian encouragement and admonition to overcome the crazy cultural cacophony.

I’m so thankful for the wise call to listen to God’s wisdom. I’m so thankful for the many Christian voices that God has placed around me by His grace! I need to listen.