A husband once read an article to his wife that claimed women use 30,000 words a day compared to a man’s 15,000. Feeling as though he had found something worth mentioning, he smiled and read it aloud to her.

Without missing a beat, his wife replied, “That’s because we have to repeat everything to men.”

The husband looked up from the article, turned to his wife, and said, “What?”

It is a funny little story, but it touches something very real. Many times, the problem is not that someone has not spoken clearly; it is that we have not listened carefully. We hear sounds, but we do not always receive words. We sit in the same room, but our mind is somewhere else. We nod our head, but our heart has not truly paid attention.

Listening is one of the quiet ministries of love. A husband who listens well is showing love. A wife who listens well is showing respect. A parent who listens well is opening the heart of a child. A Christian who listens well is showing the meekness of Christ. Sometimes people do not need us to answer quickly; they need us to care enough to hear them fully.

The Lord has been patient with us many times. He has repeated truth through His Word, through preaching, through correction, and through the quiet work of the Holy Spirit. How many times has God had to remind us of something we should have learned already? Yet He is gracious and longsuffering.

Today, ask the Lord to help you listen with more than your ears. Listen with humility. Listen with patience. Listen with love.