Are you growing from the gift of listening?

The New Testament doesn't name listening as a spiritual gift, but it's a gift we can, and should, give one another. And truly listening to one another could remedy much of the divisive rhetoric prevalent among evangelical Christians.

The Bible affirms the value of listening. James writes, "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger" (James 1:19). The Old Testament also warns against a person's desire only to speak his or her mind and not to listen to understand another: "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion" (Proverbs 18:2).

Even the commonly held wisdom of humanity speaks to the importance of listening. You may have heard a version of a saying that apparently goes back more than 2,000 years: "We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less."

Despite this truth, my pride longs to make sure another person hears and understands my views -- even to the extent of focusing on what I will say next while he or she is speaking -- instead of making sure I understand that person's views. Regrettably, we have far too many social-media examples of Christians who are committed to expressing the opinions they hold with their tribes but not to listening closely to brothers and sisters who have different views on secondary matters they also believe are biblically based.

When we truly listen to another person, we are saying something important:

-- Listening tells another person, "I value you and your views."

-- Listening tells another person, "I can learn from you."

-- Listening tells another person, "I want to understand you and your views."

-- Listening tells another person, "I care about you."

-- Listening tells another person, "I want to be invited into your world."

Brothers and sisters, may we cultivate and prize listening that we might grow in our understanding, that we might demonstrate love, that we might foster unity and peace, that we might display the centrality of the gospel, and that we might glorify God together.

-- Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

Does our rhetoric pass the grace and love tests?

The fruit of the Spirit is not uncharitableness, unkindness, unwillingness to listen to others' viewpoints. It just appears some evangelical Christians think they are entitled to act as if they are -- especially on social media.

Maybe you have made the same observation this week and in recent weeks even if you are an infrequent visitor to Twitter. The unhelpful rhetoric -- sometimes from both sides -- has accompanied such issues as women in ministry, social or racial justice, and a pastor praying for the president while seeking to protect his church's unity in Christ. Some pastors, ministry and institutional leaders, and other Christians act as if they have a corner on truth, even in secondary matters, that qualifies them to take no prisoners and even speak crassly when they voice the positions they confidently hold.

And this kind of dialogue -- or monologue, really -- can happen in a church as well. We should all guard against the temptation to communicate this way in person or on social media for at least these reasons:

-- It doesn't reflect the grace of God or of His gospel (Ephesians 2:4-9).

-- It grieves the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).

-- It shows a lack of love for other Christians, thereby failing to obey Christ's command, to provide evidence of our salvation and to demonstrate what God's love is like (John 15:12, I John 4:7-12).

-- It unnecessarily divides the church over secondary matters (Ephesians 4:1-6).

-- It undermines the witness of the church (John 13:35).

When we communicate -- even the truth -- with a lack of grace, love and humility, we should be grieved. It matters not only what we say but how we say it.

May we address our differences over secondary issues with brothers and sisters by repenting of our pride, humbling ourselves, prizing Jesus and His church over our perspectives and communicating with a desire to understand another's point of view.

-- Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash