Listening First
Bible Reading: Acts 8:26-40
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
We may be so excited about what God has done for us or so concerned for those in need of recovery that we want to rush right out and tell everyone our story. Or we may be very shy and hesitate to tell anyone, especially if we think they are better than us. We all have a valuable story to tell; we just need to learn how best to communicate it.
The apostle Philip was led to meet an influential traveler. "The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. . . . he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The Holy Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and walk along beside the carriage.' Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?' The man replied, ‘How can I, unless someone instructs me?' . . . So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus" (Acts 8:27-31, 35).
The way Philip communicated can be a model for us. He was sensitive to allow God to lead him to someone who was ready. He wasn't so intimidated by the man's status that he hesitated in sharing his story. Philip began by listening carefully. He led the man's need and interests into the message he was prepared to share. Whether we are zealous or shy, following this model can help us communicate in a way that people can understand and receive.
We'll tell our own stories best, after we've listened first.
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Taken from The Life Recovery Devotional: Thirty Meditations from Scripture for Each Step in Recovery by Stephen Arterburn and David Stoop. Copyright © 1991 by Stephen Arterburn and David Stoop. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
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