Great Learners Are Listeners
By Rick Warren
“Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.” Proverbs 18:15 (MSG)
Being a disciple of Jesus Christ essentially means being a student of Jesus Christ. The term “disciple” comes from a Latin word that means “student, learner, or follower.” God wants you to study and be a student as you follow Jesus. You should always be learning!
“Do yourself a favor and learn all you can; then remember what you learn and you will prosper” (Proverbs 19:8 GNT).
Success in life is tied to learning. If you want to succeed in a certain area of your life, then you must become a student in that area. You must always be learning something new.
As you study, it’s crucial to understand the difference between wisdom and knowledge. Knowledge is information gained from education or experience. The more you know, the better equipped you are to handle life’s challenges.
Wisdom, however, is seeing and responding from God’s viewpoint. Wisdom means seeing your relationships, finances, and career from God’s perspective and responding accordingly. You can acquire knowledge from books, but wisdom comes from God.
God is the source of true wisdom.
With wisdom, you begin to understand the meaning of things. Many educated individuals still grapple with fundamental questions like, “Who am I? What’s the meaning of my life?” These questions are not answered by knowledge but by wisdom—by listening to God.
If you want to become a great learner, then you must become a great listener. When you’re talking, you’re not learning. When you listen, you learn.
That means that one of the most crucial skills you need is listening. There are books and courses on improving listening skills. Parents, teaching your children the art of listening is one of the best gifts you can give them because the best listeners are the best learners.
The Bible instructs in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth” (AMP).
Maybe you weren’t a great student or you never really enjoyed being in school. That doesn’t mean you can’t learn new things! God wants you to learn more about the things that he has made you to do and that serve his purpose.
Start by listening to people in your life who have walked with God and grown in wisdom. Do your best to learn from them so you can also grow in wisdom and truth.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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