Worshiping a Sovereign Lord: Listen or Be a Fool

Recently I've come to be convicted of an abiding sin in my life: the sin of not listening. I had already known about my tendency to do this; Sarrah has pointed it out to me some of the many times I've done so. But at the time I regarded it as more of a bad habit. I was later convinced that it was a sin when I read an article that cited two verses: Proverbs 18:2, which says, "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion," and Proverbs 18:13, which says, "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame."

When the Bible talks about hearing, it means much more than simply perceiving sound. "Hearing" in the Biblical sense refers to understanding. When Jesus says "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Matt. 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9; Luke 8:8; 14:35; see also Matt 11:15; Mark 4:23; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22), he is basically saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him understand." So what I'm saying is that I'm guilty of hearing that something is being said to me but not bothering to try to understand it.

I find the use of the word "fool" to be very interesting. It speaks volumes about just how bad not listening is. What else does the Bible say about the fool? "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Ps. 14:1; 53:1). Because of these verses¹, I've always equated foolishness with unbelief. That's not to say that Christians never act foolishly, but rather that foolishness is unbecoming of a believer. That's because, I believe Biblically, foolishness encompasses all sin. It goes the other way as well; that is, all sin is foolishness. So to call not listening foolish is to call it sinful.

So what do the verses themselves say? Proverbs 18:2 describes a guy who doesn't care what anyone else says and only wants to talk more, to hear the sound of his own voice. His eyes glaze over when someone else speaks because he himself is not the one speaking. Rather than paying attention to what someone is saying to him and really trying to understand it, he is busy thinking of what he's going to say next. Proverbs 18:13 speaks of the guy who talks before understanding what was said to him. He either thinks or pretends that he understands, and so replies, only to put his foolishness on display. He probably doesn't care though, so long as he is still talking.

These are foolish. These are sins. And these are both things I have done and still do all the time.

So what do I do about it? First, I should pray, and continue to pray, for God's sanctification in this area. Jesus always heard what was said to him. Santification is the process of God conforming us more and more into the likeness of Jesus. Thus, as God works in me, I should become a better listener. Next, I need to actually take interest in what people say to me. I should try hard to understand. I should fight my tendency to just think of what I'll say next before I hear what is being said, or to mentally check out when other people are speaking. Then, I should write a blog post in the hopes of exhorting others to do the same.

There is one other verse that should make us want to listen well: "The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out" (Prov. 20:5). If you listen, you can understand. If you understand, you know what to say. If you know what to say, you will be able to dig deeper to get to the heart of the matter. You'll get to know someone better. Maybe this will bring you into greater fellowship with your spouse, your children, or other believers. Or maybe it will enable you to reach the lost more effectively.

So we have two choices: listen or be fools. Which one is it going to be?