Lately I’ve been reading a biography of Winston Churchill and ran across this quote from him: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” This reminds me of the role we have as Christian leaders. Certainly there are times we are required to stand up and speak. But it seems that sometimes the pendulum swings so far in that direction that we forget the second part of courage: being willing to sit down and listen.
Sitting down and listening to someone else’s perspective can be an act of great courage. Often we will not like what we hear. Sometimes it’s unflattering to us. Sometimes we are persuaded. It takes far more courage to open our minds and listen to the perspectives of others than it does to cling blindly to our own unquestioned dogma. But we will be the better for it, as will our faith.
Who do you need to listen to?