CCDA Principle #1: Listening

How does our relationship with God inform our relationship with others?

How does our love of God inform our love of others?

How does listening to God first inform our listening to our neighbors?

These are questions our staff has been pondering this month. We want to invite you into the discussion!

Mission Waco seeks to empower, equip, and engage local communities to love their neighbor well. Our philosophy is rooted in Christian Community Development principles. As an association, CCDA has core values that characterize its approach.

Join Mission Waco staff, board members, and volunteers in learning about these philosophies as we share our reflections from CCDA’s online seminars.

First up is the idea of listening to our community.

Most would argue that listening is beneficial, yet listening is so opposed to one’s human nature.

• We often seek to be understood, rather than understand.
• We are quick to make assumptions, rather than ask inquisitively.
• We can find ourselves talking so much that we begin to subconsciously operate as if our voice is most important.

Many of us are guilty of these habits in our relationship with others and with God. However, what would it look like to listen up? (Listen ↑)

Scripture reveals that listening is not just a moral solution to a universal problem. Listening well is wisdom from the Lord in an effort to produce righteousness in us!

James 1:19-20 - “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

This passage reveals that listening is required of everyone seeking righteousness.

Not only is it asked of everyone, but Jesus further models that it is for everyone. All deserve to be listened to. Throughout Jesus’ life on earth, we see that He listened to everyone.

Young and old. Rich and poor. Pious and unfaithful. Politically powerful and marginalized outcast. Jew and Gentile.

Not one of these extremes is more deserving of the gospel than the other. God desires all to be saved, all to be loved, and therefore, all to be listened to.

Through His death and resurrection, our communion and communication with the Lord is restored. Upon His ascension, Jesus sits at the right hand of God, making intercession for us.

Wow, what a reflection for today and every day! Christ’s sacrifice grants the believer access to the Lord that sin previously severed.

The perfect and holy God desires communion and communication with you! With Christ as our intercessor, God listens to you and asks that you listen to Him!

Listening starts with listening to the Lord (listening ↑) Ask yourself:

• When was the last time you realized what a privilege and miracle it is to be able to hear/listen to God? Reflect on this gift.
• How can you listen to the Lord’s heart for you and others through His Word, the Bible?
• When could you make time to sit in unhurried silence and listen to the Lord in prayer?

Second to listening to God, we see Scripture reveal the idea of listening to others. Matthew 22 captures Jesus’ answer to the question, “What is the greatest commandment?”

Matthew 22:37-40 - “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

With such clarity, we see the will of the Lord. Above any effort or accomplishment in this life, Jesus asks us to love God and love others as ourselves.

Sin has created an innate selfishness in each of us. Loving others by listening to others will take intentionality.

• Intentionality to hold our tongues and pursue humility and curiosity.
• Intentionality to value others as the image bearers they are, with immense value.
• Intentionality to advocate for those who are not being listened to.

The same James who exhorts us to listen, also addresses the reality that people hear the Word often, yet deceive themselves by never being moved to action (James 1:22).

So, with this in mind, how can we walk in this calling to love God and others?

• 1 John 4:19 drives our love. “We love because he first loved us.”

Do you truly know how loved you are by God? If you struggle with this, look at the cross.

• Practice listening here first. The Bible and prayer reveal the message that God loves you.

• The greatest commandment and call on our lives is to love God. We love, because we see and know that He first loved us. How are you loving God?

  • We see in human relationships that we love by spending time with them and even listening to them share how they desire to be loved. Try this with God if you don’t know where to start.

• The second greatest commandment and call on our lives is to love others. We explored that listening to others is one fruit of loving them. Do a self-diagnosis by inventorying your life.

  • Who do you listen to well?
  • Who do you wish you listened to better?
  • Who is someone you have never explored listening to?

What would it look like to listen up? Start by knowing how loved you are by God. From His example and assurance, explore loving God and others through listening today!