“2022: The Year of Listening”
Because of the encouragement of Jon Gordon, I have been taking a word or a short phrase as my mantra or focus for the year. For 2022, the word is “Listening”. This year I am listening.
Initially, I was planning to make “Talking Less” my focus. However, it occurred to me that this was a “not-goal”—and not-goals are not good. So, I decided on listening.
This listening will have several aspects. Here are a few that I have identified:
- Listening to God.
- Listening to Myself.
- Listening to Others.
I’m sure that there are other schematic ways of breaking this down, but this seems to me to be a good way to try to wrap my mind around what I am trying to be and become this year. Not all my blog posts will deal with listening, but probably several will. As readers of this blog, you have the right to ask me how the listening is going. Questions, discussion, and your own insights are, of course, most welcome. I will try to listen!
I have no illusion that this is going to be an easy mantra. I’ve never been as good at listening as I have been at talking. Still, hard things are often precisely where the growth is. I hope to grow in my ability to listen this year.
Andy Stanley has a wonderful sermon in which he challenges us to “be quick to listen, slow to speak.” As he admits, he stole these words from James (James 1:19). Unfortunately, I have too often turned around James’ (and Stanley’s) admonition. I’ve been a machine gun when it comes to speaking and refrigerated molasses when it comes to listening. It’s high time I became a biblical listener.
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