The Listening Life by Adam S. McHugh

The Listening Life by Adam S. McHugh ISBN-13: 9780830879694 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: InterVarsity Press Released: Nov. 9, 2015

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
"Be quick to listen, slow to speak." ―James 1:19

How would our lives change if we approached every experience with the intention of listening first? In this noisy, distracting world, it is difficult to truly hear. People talk past each other, eager to be heard but somehow deaf to what is being said.

Listening is an essential skill for healthy relationships, both with God and with other people. But it is more than that: listening is a way of life. Adam McHugh places listening at the heart of our spirituality, our relationships and our mission in the world. God himself is the God who hears, and we too can learn to hear what God may be saying through creation, through Scripture, through people.

By cultivating a posture of listening, we become more attentive and engaged with those around us. Listening shapes us and equips us to be more attuned to people in pain and more able to minister to those in distress.


My Review:
The Listening Life is about truly listening to God and to others and how this can transform our relationships. The author started off by describing why good listening is important. He looked at Scripture to see how people listened to God and how God listens to His people. This section reminded me why I love my God so much: our God listens!

He talked about listening directly to God and to God through Scripture, creation, and other people. He described bad and good ways of listening to others. Not rules but more starting with a right attitude. He also discussed listening to yourself (in a biblical way) and suggested how different church would be if people knew they would be heard, not preached at.

The book had a casual tone with a cadence that was pleasant to read. He looked at Scripture, but he also suggested ancient Christian practices and things he's found to help as he's learned to be a better listener. I'd recommend this book to those who want to build closer relationships with God and people.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.