Listen Like Your Life Depends On It

“Understanding this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” (James 1:19, NLT).

Erik Weihenmayer is a phenomenal athlete who loves to skydive, snow ski and climb mountains. Mountain climbing is his specialty. As a matter of fact, he is on track to be one of the youngest to climb all of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each of the continents. In 1995 he scaled Mt. McKinley, in 1996 El Capitan, in 1998 Mt Kilamanjaro. In 1999 he climbed Argentina’s Aconcagua. On May 25, 2001 he reached the summit of Mount Everest, a peak that 90% of those who begin to climb never finish. Since 1953, 165 people have died trying to climb Everest, but Erik made it. Now that is an extremely significant feat, but you don’t know the half of it. Weihenmayer suffers from a degenerative eye disease, and when he was 13 he became totally blind. All of his climbs have been without the benefit of his eyesight. Weihenmayer is a blind mountain-climber!

Now you have to ask yourself, “How is that possible? How can a guy who can’t see climb the highest peaks in the world?” If you ask him, he’ll tell you.

He has learned to listen well. He listens as a bell tied to the back of the climber in front of him shows him which way to go. He listens to his climbing partners who shout back to him, “Death fall two feet to your right!” so he knows what direction not to go. He listens to the sound of his pick jabbing the ice, so he knows whether his footing will be secure or not.

For Erik Weihenmayer, being a good listener is a matter of life and death.

The truth is, the same is true for every one of us. Listening, I mean really hearing, is the only way any of us is able to follow the pathway that God has opened up for us, and it is vital in the pursuit of a vibrant fife. My prayer for each of us is that we will become better listeners, even straining to hear what God has to say to us and then have tenacious willingness to follow His direction.

Pray with Me:

God, you have given me two ears and only one mouth. Help me listen to you twice as much as I speak to you today. I must hear your voice so I can conquer every mountain in my path, and I commit to listening. Amen.