We do God’s work for our brothers and sisters when we learn to listen to them. – Dietrich Bonhoffer

Reflective listening is the practice of seeking to truly understand what a person is saying, then carefully repeating it back to them to confirm they have been understood correctly. It is a valuable life skill I learned in the healing grounds of marriage counseling and later honed in debriefing training for returned global workers. As with so many other life skills, the basic tenets are found in God's Word.

Proverbs 2:1-9 provides wisdom for walking with God that requires careful listening; accepting and storing up His Words (v. 1), listening closely and directing the heart to understand (v. 2), calling out for insight and understanding (v. 3), and seeking and searching after it (v. 4). The author follows with four provisions from God that result from disciplined listening; understanding and knowledge of Him (v. 5, 6), success and a shield of protection and guardianship (v. 7, 8), and finally, understanding of every good path (v. 9).

Life as a global worker requires you to know your people, culture, and those who co-labor with you in ministry. To be wise and know well, you must listen and understand. But what often happens? We succumb to the temptation to rely on our own understanding. We talk too much and listen too little, thinking we fully grasp a situation when in reality, we are unaware of what was actually said.

This passage in Proverbs reminds us that to listen and understand with true wisdom, we must first listen and understand God. We do this through the daily discipline of interaction with His Word - reflective listening that responds with, “God, what I’m hearing you say is…”. In turn, we learn to listen to others reflectively. Our relationships grow deeper through His wisdom, forging strong bonds of fellowship and healing in those who are hurting. We express the saving message of Christ in a way that is truly heard.