notesbynora

Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is your silence and your full attention.

Scripture:
“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
— James 1:19

In a world that moves fast and talks loud, listening has become something of a lost art. We’re often so eager to respond, to fix, to share our opinion, or to fill the silence, that we forget one of the simplest and most Christ-like acts we can offer: truly hearing someone.

Listening isn’t just waiting for our turn to talk. It’s leaning in with our heart, not just our ears. It’s showing someone that their words matter, that their feelings are seen, and that they are safe in our presence. When Jesus walked this earth, He was the master of listening. Before He healed, before He taught, before He spoke truth into someone’s life—He listened. He saw the person, not just their problem.

There’s a difference between listening to reply and listening to understand. One centers on ourselves; the other centers on love. When we listen with humility and patience, we’re offering more than empathy—we’re reflecting God’s heart. Sometimes, people don’t need advice. They just need someone who will sit beside them and say, “I’m here.”

I remember a time when a friend came to me, heartbroken over a decision that had gone terribly wrong. My instinct was to offer a verse, a prayer, a piece of wisdom. But as she spoke, tears spilling out between sentences, I felt the Lord whisper to my spirit, Just listen. So I did. I didn’t fix her problem, I didn’t try to make her feel better—I just stayed still and let her pour it all out. When she finished, she sighed and said quietly, “Thank you. You have no idea how much it helps just to be heard.”

That moment taught me something profound: sometimes, silence speaks the loudest. Sometimes, our presence preaches better than our words.

Good listening requires humility—it’s setting aside our urge to control the conversation or prove we have the answers. It’s resisting the temptation to rush someone’s pain with our solutions. When we listen well, we become instruments of God’s peace, allowing Him to work through our patience rather than our opinions.

Proverbs 18:13 warns, “To answer before listening—that is folly and shame.” Yet we often do it, don’t we? We interrupt, assume, or judge before we’ve really understood. But when we slow down and give someone the gift of our attention, healing begins to happen on both sides. Listening softens hearts, deepens relationships, and invites the Holy Spirit into the space between two people.

Maybe today God is calling you not to speak, but to listen—to your spouse, your child, your coworker, or your friend. Maybe someone just needs to know they’re not alone. When we listen, we mirror the way God listens to us. He never rushes our prayers or interrupts our cries. He simply waits, hears, and loves.

Prayer:
Father, teach me the grace of listening. Help me to slow down and give others the gift of my full attention. Guard my tongue from rushing to fix or advise when what someone really needs is understanding. Let my heart be a quiet place where Your peace can dwell, and may others feel heard, valued, and loved through me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.