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Bearing One Another’s Burdens – The God Who Sees

When we learn to see others as God sees them, the next step is to listen as He listens.
Jesus’ ministry wasn’t built on constant speaking — it was built on attentive presence. He heard the cries others tuned out: Bartimaeus shouting by the roadside, a father whispering through tears, a thief praying from a cross.

Listening as Healing

Psychologists tell us that deep listening regulates the nervous system. When someone feels heard without judgment, the brain’s alarm centers calm down — the body literally begins to believe, I am safe.

Scripture knew this long before neuroscience did:

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” — James 1:19

Listening is not passive. It’s participation in God’s healing rhythm.
When we listen well, we join the Spirit in creating safety — the soil where trust and transformation can grow.

Jesus’ Way of Hearing

Jesus never rushed people through their stories.
He let the Samaritan woman speak her confusion.
He let the bleeding woman tell “the whole truth.”
He let His disciples voice their fear.
And in those spaces, shame began to unravel.

When we listen like Jesus, we stop trying to fix and start trying to understand. We create sacred space where others can meet the God who already sees and knows.

A Prayer for Today

Lord, quiet my words and open my ears.
Help me hear the stories beneath the surface — the pain behind the anger, the hope behind the silence.
Make my listening a ministry of Your peace.
Amen.

Blessings in Jesus’ Name,
Tom Nicholas, Pastor
Spirit Filled / Engaging Deeply / Reaching Our Community for Christ