My family have been claiming that my hearing is deteriorating. I claim it is selective hearing! However I agreed to have a hearing assessment. As part of the assessment the audiologist asked many questions to try and illicit what sort of hearing loss I might have, if any.
One of the things I have noticed is that I lose concentration when trying to focus on a conversation with another person in a crowded room. This is a common symptom and as we get older our ability to “shut out” the ambient noise diminishes. It is called sensory gating or selective auditory attention – so it’s official! I have selective hearing.
What is our spiritual hearing like? Do we fail to hear the still small voice of God? Are we selective in what we hear – only picking out those things that suit us? Do we lose concentration when distracted by the ambient noise of the world around?
If God were to assess our hearing what would he find? Do we only hear things from one side of an argument, or are we gracious enough to hear consider opinions of others whose view points may differ from ours? Do we have tinnitus (ringing or noises in the ear) or dizziness? Does the chaos of the world obscure the clear Word of God? Are there things obstructing our spiritual hearing that need clearing out?
Fortunately the audiologist was able to reassure me that my hearing was satisfactory and no hearing aids were needed. There was some loss at the higher frequencies, used in vowels in conversation, but nothing to be concerned about.
Are there parts of God’s Word that we miss, or perhaps we skate over? Do we need help to hear His Word? Are there some words that are easier to “hear” or understand when we share our faith with others?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you that you speak to us in the still small voice. Forgive us when we are selective in our hearing, when things get in the way of your voice. Help us to focus our concentration on you, to filter out the ambient noise of the world so that we can hear your truth speaking to us. Amen