UCB Word For Today

• Become a better listener

  When you take time to listen to another person, you don’t just give them a gift, you give yourself one. Dr Juli Slattery observes: ‘Everyone is attracted to a good listener. How ironic that you can major in communications and never take a class on one of the most fundamental aspects of communicating – listening…Perhaps the most powerful mode of sharing the gospel, saving your marriage, and making friends is to truly listen. We feel loved by those who take the time to hear our story and ask insightful questions…Here are three ways to become a better listener: 1) Become curious. Every person you meet is interesting…On the surface they may drone on about something you don’t care about, but underneath is an interesting story if you take time to dig for it. For me, the first step to listening is finding something to be curious about…After 20 years of marriage, I still want to be curious about my husband…to know what God is teaching him…what he’s looking forward to, and what made him laugh today. 2) Maintain eye contact. Because we can’t gauge listening by looking at someone’s ears, we look at their eyes…We show our children, spouses, friends, and even strangers respect when we give them focused attention. 3) Go beyond the words you hear. We only communicate a portion of what we want to express through words. The rest comes through body language, tone, and even silence.’ Proverbs 12:15: ‘A fool thinks he needs no advice, but a wise man listens to others’ (TLB). As much as you may like the sound of your own voice – you become wise by learning to listen.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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• Peace that defies human logic

  No matter what problems you’re grappling with, it’s good to know that the peace of God ‘which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and…minds in Christ Jesus.’ Author Lorie Newman said: ‘For me, that peace came when my husband lost his job…We were a one-income family with seven children, a mortgage, [and] bills. Would we lose our house? How could we feed our large family? These questions fogged my mind like suffocating smoke. But, in the midst of it, God tenderly spoke life into my worried heart…Unemployment remained. In fact, it remained for nearly two years. But day-by-day, step-by-step, the truth of God’s Word began to eclipse the despair and I had incredible peace! God’s Word came alive as never before as I navigated the turbulent waters of that rough season of life. I had read that God was my provider, but I began to know and experience him as my provider! What should have been a time of horrific stress…became a place of peace.’ When problems arise, our natural inclination is to panic. When we do that, we open the door for the Enemy to come in, get us off track, and make us feel victimised. Take these words of Jesus to heart: ‘My [own] peace I now give…you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed…do not permit yourselves to be fearful and…unsettled.]’ (John 14:27 AMPC).© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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• Your emotions matter to God (2)

  Like Jesus, we have been created in the image of a God who expresses emotions. Neither the Father nor the Son was afraid or embarrassed to feel deeply, and we shouldn’t be either. In Scripture God’s heart broke for His wayward children (see Hosea 11:8-9). Jesus wept openly at the grave of His dear friend Lazarus (see John 11:35). He expressed righteous anger over moneylenders defrauding worshippers in the temple (see Luke 19:45-46). And when it comes to our own feelings, we are neither powerless pawns nor fearful fugitives. God wants us to own them, understand their message, and seek His counsel in engaging them for His glory and the benefit of others. The psalmist often voiced his emotions before God. In Psalm 22:1, he cried out, ‘My God…why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?’ (NLT). Think how he must have felt to make him say those words: intense fear, panic, confusion, disappointment, and betrayal. But note what he did with his emotions. He took them to God, addressed Him personally, and called on His help: ‘Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me’ (v. 11 NLT). David’s approach was bold, and he found the help he needed: ‘For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help’ (v. 24 NLT). When you bring your feelings to God, you will find that ‘all who seek the LORD will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy’ (v. 26 NLT).© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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• Your emotions matter to God (1)

  Emotions – we all have them. Some we enjoy, some we endure. The question is, what does God say about how we should handle them? ‘Count it all joy when you fall into various trials’ (James 1:2 NKJV). ‘Let all bitterness, wrath, anger…be put away from you, with all malice’ (Ephesians 4:31 NKJV). ‘Be…full of sympathy towards each other’ (1 Peter 3:8 TLB). God has appointed designated seasons for us to weep, laugh, mourn, love – and even hate (see Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). Does He demand that we instantly and completely control all our emotions? No. Instead He makes Himself available to transform our hearts and character, so we can manage our emotions in ways that exalt Him. Rather than providing a manual on emotional self-management, He comforts, encourages, convicts, and reorients us by patiently inviting us to do this: ‘Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you’ (1 Peter 5:7 TLB). Even painful feelings can provide opportunities to develop a deeper relationship with our heavenly Father. It also helps to remember that we’re created in the image of an emotional God, and His Word indicates that He sees our feelings as fundamentally good. Even anger, an emotion commonly deemed pejorative, can glorify Him when we handle it in unselfish ways. It’s not about what we feel, it’s how we handle those feelings. And God can give us the grace to turn any emotion into an attribute that glorifies Him.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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• Don’t speak too quickly

  When you speak too quickly, you can send the wrong signal and get results you don’t want. This is particularly so when you’re negotiating for the best deal. Speaking impulsively, and overtalking, are not signs of strength but of weakness and insecurity. Here is a story that illustrates the point: A young computer salesman named Kurt was delighted when one of his business clients expressed interest in buying a used computer system – one that Kurt had installed two years ago but that had recently been replaced with an upgrade. After careful consultation with his head office, Kurt fixed a price of $800,000 for the used system and documented in writing all his reasons for requesting that amount. As he sat down to negotiate, he heard an inner voice saying, ‘Wait. Let them do the initial talking.’ The buyers quickly filled the silence with a long rundown of their own research about this particular computer system’s strengths and weaknesses, the age of the equipment, and the need for new software. ‘Can you throw upgraded software into the deal?’ one of the buyers asked. ‘Sure,’ Kurt offered. The buyers then said, ‘We will give you $950,000 for the system, but not a penny more.’ Less than an hour later, the paperwork was signed, and Kurt walked away with a much better deal than he ever imagined, having said little more than ‘thank you’. The apostle James writes, ‘My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak’ (James 1:19 NIVUK). © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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