Learn to listen to all people. Today, most people, including some leaders, listen only to others on their level of leadership — peers, relatives, friends — and neglect little ones and the poor.
Let us learn to humbly listen to all people, irrespective of their categories in life, because God can use them.
In 2 Kings 5:1–19, we see Naaman, a great and honorable commander of the army of the king of Syria. Nevertheless, he was a leper. He was healed because of his servant girl from the land of Israel, who advised him to go to Elisha, the man of God.
Naaman also listened to another of his servants when he was angry, furious, and “went off in a rage” (verse 12). The servant came near to him and advised him to go and bathe in the Jordan seven times. As a result of listening to two lower voices, Naaman was healed of leprosy.
How many times do we carefully listen to our employees, young children, sponsored children, or the poor and neglected people in our communities? May Naaman’s story serve as a lesson to us.
Let us remember that the dignity of the poor and the needy is one of our core values. God may even use these little ones to address our situations.
Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!”
So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. — 2 Kings 5:13–14, NIV
Prayer: Lord, give us humble hearts to listen to your voice through any channel, according to your will.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Samuel Rugambage is the Country Director of Compassion Rwanda.
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Christ listened to people and we should listen to people too
Prejudice is one of the barriers affecting our listening. We can ask God to help us increase in Him so we can do to others what we would wish them do to us; the Golden rule.
Listening is vital in our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. There are times when we need to listen from HIM. Quite often we want HIM to listen us.