Do you think listening is the same as not talking? But you can remain silent and ignore people. Isn’t it blatantly obvious when people are paying attention to you and when they are not? True listening is a very intensive and demanding activity. It requires full empathetic engagement, and identifying with the emotional content of the story you are hearing. Have you ever had anyone pay attention to you at this level? How did it feel? Most people have nothing more to offer than clouded or distracted presence.

Do you think that you are just making up the things that you imagine? When you express a concern to someone have you ever been told that you are just imagining it? This is a dismissive rather than an affirmative statement. Yet everything you do or make or say exists in your mind before it is a manifested reality. Can imagination be sanctified?  I promised that my sheep would hear my voice. How do you hear from me? Do you assume that every thought you have originates within you? Have you ever had thoughts that came to you that didn’t belong to the usual sequence of flow?

Does your life seem frantic? Are you achieving your goals with the effort you put forth? Do your goals and achievements create eternal value? Have you ever been busy but not accomplished anything? Do you insist on value for the money you spend? You should. Do you realize that your time budget is even more rigidly enforced than your monetary budget? Time will pass one way or another, but time can be redeemed and turned into eternal value. It is a bargain to give what you cannot keep to gain what you cannot lose. Follow my advice to lay up for yourself treasure in heaven.

Are you enthralled? How strongly do you support your team or your candidate in an election or the leader of your church? There is nothing wrong with having preferences and providing support for those you favor but you can do so without yielding your personal sovereignty or identity. False messiahs are always looking for disciples and are eager to exert undue influence and control over those willing to follow them. You are bought with a price and you are not your own, and it was I who paid that price. Do not willingly become the captive of any man.