Paul Tillich said, “The first duty of love is to listen.” Paul Johannes Tillich (August 20, 1886 – October 22, 1965) was a German American Christian existentialist philosopher, and Lutheran theologian who was widely regarded as one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century, according to Wikipedia.   His quote is powerful and holds truth in its meaning.

        To be an active listener, you must use your eyes to intently and purposefully engage with the speaker, watching their body language which is part of speech. Your ears, of course, must be giving their attention to what is being spoken, as you notice inflections and intonations of what you hear.  Your mind must be engaged in what your eyes and ears are hearing, processing the message.  Your heart attaches itself to the meaning of what is spoken.

        For children, or your spouse, your first duty of LOVE is to listen.  Fully engage yourself so “blah blah blah” isn’t running through your mind, but instead intentional listening is taking place. For some folks, active listening might take some practice, but it is definitely a game changer!  If we listened to others, our loved ones and to God with love, as Tillich suggests….it is our duty, can you imagine the messages we would hear? Adding LOVE to our listening skills puts a whole different twist on what we receive. The first duty of love is to listen.  Polish up your listening skills and through love, you will be pleasantly surprised at what you hear. You are loved unconditionally, so listen with intent to His Word.

Jill