Listening, Part 3

I still want to pursue the subject of listening. In this and the following meditations I will be expanding on the thoughts I have already set forth. Let is be stressed again that listening requires the power of concentration. Concentration is the key to information being encoded in our memory. So this meditation on listening has become a study on the power of concentration. Let’s begin by defining the word concentrate.

Concentrate – To bring to or towards a common centre; to collect or gather as at a centre; to cause to converge or meet at one point or place.

When we concentrate with our minds we cause our thoughts to focus on one thing. If we are concentrating when we pray to God, read the Bible, or listen to a sermon, we are focusing our mind on that activity alone and we are not allowing our thoughts to wander from it. If we are going to prevent our minds from wandering, we have to be aware of when our minds wander. When this happens, we must catch ourselves and direct our thoughts back to the task at hand. This brings us back to what we have already seen in the previous meditations, and that is the fact the listening requires earnest and constant effort on our part to concentrate on what we are hearing. The Bible calls it hearkening diligently. Like anything else, the skill of listening will improve with practice. You have to make an effort to listen and you have to keep making an effort to listen. The more you do this, the better at it you will become. And do not forget that God holds you responsible to listen to Him. It is to your peril if you fail to do so. So you had best pay attention to what I am telling you!

Now I would like to call in some information I found on the internet in an excellent article entitled The Self-Mastery. Self-Direction Power of Concentration put out by Globusz Publishing. In the following quote, the author is pointing out the need to make an effort to improve concentration, which is what I have been harping on.

Concentration of the mind can only be developed by watching yourself closely. All kinds of development commence with close attention. You should regulate your every thought and feeling. When you commence to watch yourself and your own acts and also the acts of other people, you use the faculties of autonomy (self-government), and, as you continue to do so, you improve your faculties, until in time you can engineer your every thought, wish and plan. To be able to focalize the mind on the object at hand in a conscious manner leads to concentration. Only the trained mind can focalize. To hold a thought before it until all the faculties shall have had time to consider that thought is concentration.

I am particularly struck by that sentence that I have highlighted. In order to develop anything in your life, whether it be listening skills, a professional skill, learning a subject, getting in shape, or pursuing a relationship, you have to pay close attention to it. So if you find yourself having a problem concentrating, you need to begin watching yourself closely, paying attention to your concentration or lack thereof. The correction of any problem begins with awareness of the problem. Strangely enough, in order to improve the power of concentration, you have to concentrate on concentrating!

Now let’s bring in what the Scripture says about this.

Proverbs 4:25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

This passage is clearly teaching us to consider our direction, settle on a course of action, set it before us, and focus directly on it without being turned aside from it to the right hand or to the left. This is clearly a call to develop the power of concentration.

Here is another interesting quote from the above-mentioned article.

When the self-regulating faculties are not developed the impulses, appetites, emotions and passions have full swing to do as they please and the mind becomes impulsive, restless, emotional and irregular in its action. This is what makes mental concentration poor.
When the self-guiding faculties are weak in development, the person always lacks the power of mental concentration. Therefore you cannot learn to concentrate until you develop those very powers that qualify you to be able to concentrate. So if you cannot concentrate one of the following is the cause:
1. "Deficiency of the motor centers." 2. "An impulsive and emotional mind." 3. "An untrained mind."
The last fault can soon be removed by systematic practice. It is easiest to correct.
The impulsive and emotional state of mind can best be corrected by restraining anger, passion and excitement, hatred, strong impulses, intense emotions, fretfulness, etc. It is impossible to concentrate when you are in any of these excited states.

Note those three things that will interfere with concentration. The deficiency of motor centers refers to some kind of mental handicap that hinders one’s ability to concentrate. This is something that most of us do not have, at least not that we know of. Assuming that is not the problem, we may consider the other two. We have already addressed the interference of an untrained mind. That, as he rightly observes, can be corrected by practice. His advice on correcting an impulsive and emotional mind is right on target. He is simply recommending the Scriptural practice of temperance. Temperance is defined as the practice or habit of restraining oneself in provocation, passion, desire, etc.; rational self-restraint. This is one of the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 and something we are taught to add to our faith in 2 Peter 1:5-8, if we would “neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We must restrain our passions, our emotions, and our impulses if we would improve our ability to concentrate. For example, when you are reading your Bible, you may feel as strong impulse to call someone on the telephone. Or you may be feeling very angry about something that happened. Or you may be worried about how you are going to pay the bills. All of these things are interfering with your ability to concentrate on your reading. Learn to recognize when your mind is wandering onto these other things. Catch yourself and call your thoughts back to the task at hand. All those other things will be there to attend to when you are done with your reading. And, of course, as Christians we have the privilege of casting our cares upon God so as to free up our minds to concentrate. So a simple prayer of commitment of our cares to God can help to bring us back into focus.

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

A mind at peace will be much more disposed to concentration than a mind that is anxious and agitated. And the ability to concentrate will make you a better listener, which is the purpose of these meditations. That is enough for today. Now see if you can concentrate on this information I have given you.