Listening
"When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community -- the heads of the clans of Israel -- heard this from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, they were satisfied. Phinehas son of Eleazer, the priest replied to them, 'Today we know the Lord is among us because you have not committed this treachery against the Lord as we thought. Instead, you have rescued Israel from being destroyed by the hand of the Lord.'" - Joshua 23:30-31
Jumping to conclusions is a common malpractice in our interactions with others. I've wasted an incredible amount of time and energy anguishing over scenarios that existed only in my mind. I discovered later, if only I would have paused, asked a few questions, waited, or simply listened very carefully, all the angst could have been avoided.
In our verses for the day, we see Phinehas and friends practicing the fine art of listening. It appeared as if 2 1/2 tribes of Israel were committing a great sin and the rest of the tribes went looking for answers. Thankfully, for all involved, they listened before sharpened swords were drawn and deadly spears were thrown. There was no treachery or betrayal. No need to sound the alarm. All was well and good. Disaster averted.
Today, there are lingering question marks in our relationships. We aren't quite sure what was meant when they said this or when they did that. Let's take the challenge today to resist our natural urge to assume the worst. It's not about naivete, it's about love. Patiently wait. Take time to listen.
Grace and Peace,
Tom
Jumping to conclusions is a common malpractice in our interactions with others. I've wasted an incredible amount of time and energy anguishing over scenarios that existed only in my mind. I discovered later, if only I would have paused, asked a few questions, waited, or simply listened very carefully, all the angst could have been avoided.
In our verses for the day, we see Phinehas and friends practicing the fine art of listening. It appeared as if 2 1/2 tribes of Israel were committing a great sin and the rest of the tribes went looking for answers. Thankfully, for all involved, they listened before sharpened swords were drawn and deadly spears were thrown. There was no treachery or betrayal. No need to sound the alarm. All was well and good. Disaster averted.
Today, there are lingering question marks in our relationships. We aren't quite sure what was meant when they said this or when they did that. Let's take the challenge today to resist our natural urge to assume the worst. It's not about naivete, it's about love. Patiently wait. Take time to listen.
Grace and Peace,
Tom
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