Just take the time to LISTEN, i know sometimes that's hard to do

There are so many issues that are out there that have more complex truths to them than what we think. I learn so much and you know something? As Christians, we don't have to force the truth on people. If we are willing to just listen to them before we open our mouths and put our opinions in, just maybe would people begin to hear what we have to say and maybe we will get the opportunity to pour into other people's lives!

A lot of times as Christians we are so quick to judge and have a certain perception of people and then we wonder why non-Christians look at us and think that we are hypocrites and judgemental. We shouldn't have to be known as hypocrites and judgemental and etc., we should be known by what we stand for. Why aren't we looking at the potential that people have instead of their flaws. It's not our place to judge and we need to start seeing other people with potential.
Every person has potential and i think sometimes we tend to foget that and especially if you don't like that person it's easy to look at their flaws and all they do wrong instead of looking at their potential and what God has for them.

     I know there was this one guy that was in my class and we would always argue back and forth sometimes on religious views and i never liked him and i always looked at all the bad that he did and judged him for the things that he did and how he acted when i could have been looking at the potential that he had, the influence that he could have had if i just would have taken a little more time to listen to him and what his views were. We never got along in school and we were always in the same class because of our last names. This guy's name is Brian O'handley. The summer before my senior year, i had found out that he had passed away in a deadly car accident. At first, it didn't phase me and all i thought was, "wow, that doesn't surprise me." A few minutes later it hit me, i asked myself, "What are you thinking, your classmate just died in a car accident and you didn't do anything to see him saved!" I felt very guilty for a few days that all i did was absolutely nothing besides judge him and argue with him on certain religious issues. I then came to realize that maybe if i would have taken the time to just sit and listen to his view that maybe he would have listened to my view and just maybe i could have poured into his life. Just maybe there is a glimpse of hope that he is with Jesus and i don't know it.


Here is a challenge that i will take part in,

          When will we start just listening and not being so quick to put in our opinions on certain issues? Why don't we just start listening to what others have to say?

Maybe then, God will open up the door for us and people will be willing to listen to what we have to say.