How well do you listen? Do you listen to those in authority? Do you listen to those with more experience? Do you listen to those who have higher educations? Or do you believe you know better than anyone else? Do you know that line of thinking can get you into a deep mess?
There are many times in which we do not want to listen to someone else. This is especially true when we are following our own desires, pursuing what we want. But it is exactly in those times we should slow down and listen carefully to sage advice. It just may keep us out of hot water.
Now, listening to advice does not mean we should quit thinking for ourselves. We certainly need to think about the advice and weigh the options. After all, who knows our situation better than we do? Yet, there are people who have gone through situations very much like ours and they can give us good advice. It all boils down to our willingness to listen.
God the Father told the apostles—Peter, James, and John—to listen to Jesus. He might as well have been talking to us as well. We need to listen to Jesus. The apostles, much like us, had not really been listening to Jesus all that well up to that point. They had not started putting the pieces together. They did not yet realize that Jesus, the Messiah, was going to go to a cross and die for us. They did not yet understand that He would be raised on the third day. After this, they started piecing it together.
We can learn a lesson from them. We can listen to Jesus. We know about Him going to the cross and being risen from the dead. Yet, we often don’t know nor follow His advice, which is given through His teachings. If we would only do so, we would live far better lives and be much happier.
I pray we all decide to listen to Jesus. I pray we learn the lesson from the apostles. I pray each one of us will listen to Jesus’ teachings and follow His advice. Learn the lesson. Listen to Jesus. Learn from His teachings. Follow His advice. Live a better life. Experience more joy.
Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!”
Marty Pressey 