Shut Up and Listen!

Shut up and Listen!

Today’s entry has been in my spirit for quite some time. It stems partially from a lot of reaction that I heard concerning Steve Harvey’s new movie (which I have yet to see but I will) “Think Like A Man, Act Like A Lady”. I am hearing a lot of people sounding off about it. Most of whom are like myself and have not seen the movie, though again I fully intend to. They sound off because he has had a couple of failed marriages, they sound off because he’s a comedian, they sound off because they take the title to literally, they sound off because of any number of reasons. Look, here is the deal from my perspective then I will get into where this fits in conjunction with today’s entry. To think like a man but act like a lady is merely saying that women need to understand men better. Everyone and their mother agree that men and women communicate differently. This like of solid communication is what causes that multitude of barriers that we have in relationships. Steve couldn’t tell men how to better understand women because he is not a woman and can’t think as women do (in general and definitely not individually). So he wrote a book which was popular enough to be turned in to a very funny (as I hear it) movie. He incorporated his years of “playa” experience as well as experiences that helped to the falling of his prior marriages. If you look at him now; as I understand he is still happily married, he and his wife have applied some of those principals to their marriage and it is working. The advice given in book and movie form are not law but meant to serve as a guide so that women who can’t understand why they can’t maintain a relationship will have a mirror to look in and hopefully see some of themselves which is supposed to cause change in the behaviors that have negatively affected them in their pursuit. What gets me is there is a show called “Tough Love” on MTV and all this guy on the show is doing is taking women who are having a hard time dating and getting them to see what men are thinking when they see the way they act in everyday life then giving them tips to help them correct those behaviors. MTV has it and no one says boo, but Steve Harvey says it, a man who has turned his life over to God and the whole world seems as if it is up in arms about it.

What does that rant have to do with anything I may say in today’s entry? The bible teaches us to seek Godly council, it also teaches that wisdom listens to sound advice. Why is it that we (especially so-called Christians) have a hard time doing that? The bible never teaches us to look at the source but look at the words/advice given and the spirit on the one giving it when it’s given. Steve’s been divorced so he shouldn’t tell me how to be happy in a marriage. That’s asinine! Completely backwards thinking. If he understands what caused his marriage to go bad then why not try to help someone who is potentially going down the same path to not go down that path. I heard a very wise preacher say,” Do we not understand that all Christianity is, is one beggar telling another beggar where he got some bread.” You witnessing and telling your testimony is you telling how you overcame your own idiocy, escaped the enemies attacks, and corrected your bad behavior. Yet when the shoe is on the other foot we choose to scrutinize it because it pulls the veil and covers off of our mess and exposes it for what it is. Mess! Think about how much further in life you would have been if you had listened to sound words of wisdom given from someone. People like your mother or father, grandparents, Pastors, co-workers,  friends all at one time or another have tried to help your stubborn hard headed self so that you wouldn’t go the wrong way or end up in a situation that was detrimental to you. But rather than listen what did you do? You did it your way and where did it end you up at? Exactly where they said it would. The worst part is rather than take responsibility for your actions, you choose to blame everyone around you for what happened. Upset at them for trying to help you and even more upset because they were right and you weren’t. When all you had to do was listen to the sound advice given.

See advice doesn’t have to come in an appeasing package. It isn’t going to always make you feel good about your pending decision. Often times sound advice will challenge you. It will go against what it is you want to do. The problem is when that happens you vilify those that challenge your direction and call them “haters.” Half of the time the people you call haters are the iron that is supposed to sharpen your iron if you would only but listen to what they are saying and stop being upset at who it is coming from. Learn how to receive sound advice it’s for your betterment. Receiving it doesn’t always mean adhering to it but taking it in serious consideration. The problem is that we don’t ever thing that the word pertains to us or even worse we get offended because it does. Every opposition to you isn’t a hater sometimes it is someone who knows the route you are going and says hey that way won’t work here is a better way and I know this because I already tried that path and got jacked up. Take the advice given to you and pray on it and allow God to truly speak to you that way you know if what is spoken is pertaining to you and your situation or not.

It’s almost comical to me that the people who Steve mean the book for are the people who most hate him for trying to help. Just like we so-called Christians get pissed at our Pastors for preaching real life changing and challenging word that exposes us to us about us. I challenge you as of this day Shut up and Listen and allow God to reveal the sound doctrine of advice that someone is trying to impart in to you because if not the bible teaches us that a hard head (stubborn) is sure to destruction and your pride will cause your fall. Either listen and stand or don’t and fall, that’s just Real Talk. As always Grow in God’s Grace and Abide In His Love.