Attentiveness

By Mrs. Pasterski

“Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.”
—Proverbs 8:34

I’ve mentioned before our imaginary little princess living in a beautiful castle with lots of servants to take care of her every need.  Her servants, no doubt, display the character trait of attentiveness as they wait on her all day long.  But does our little princess have this same quality?  Do you?

Attentiveness is showing the worth of a person by giving undivided attention to his words.  God made each of us unique and special!  It is essential to really listen to what others are saying when they talk to you. It shows that you think they are important.  When someone speaks we should perk up and listen.  And not just to other people, what about when God is talking to you through His Word?  Many times in the Bible, especially in Proverbs, God says things like, “Hear counsel…” or “My son, hear the instruction of thy father…”  We need to pay special attention to what God is trying to say to us!

So how does a young lady demonstrate attentiveness?  First of all, when someone is speaking to you acknowledge them.  Say something like, “Yes, Daddy?” or “What is it, Mom?” when they call your name.  Use the other person’s name when they speak to you.  For adults other than your parents, you may call them “sir” or “ma’am.”  Use your friend’s name when she speaks to you.  Look at her in the eye and with a bright smile say, “Yes, Emily?”  This shows that you are ready to listen to what she is about to say.

While they are speaking, look at them, keep your face and body turned towards them as they speak. You show attentiveness not only with your ears but with your whole body!  Don’t be distracted by toys, books, the computer or TV.  Turn towards the person and really listen to their words.  Try not to interrupt them while they are talking.  Maybe you think that your sister isn’t telling a story quite right.  Restrain yourself from cutting in to correct her.  Give her a chance to talk without interruption.

When your dad comes home from work, greet him cheerfully and rather than unload a long story on him about all that happened to you that day, ask him how his day was?  When he is finished speaking, ask questions about his day.  This shows that you were really listening while he was talking.  We can see from Leviticus 19:32 and Psalm 32:8 that it is important to respect the presence of your parents with your attention and honor them by looking them in the eye when they are giving you instruction.

When the Bible is being read, you can show attentiveness to God’s Word by stopping what you are doing and listening quietly to the Scriptures.  During church you show attentiveness to the preacher or teacher by sitting still, keeping your eyes on the speaker, being quiet and listening to what they are saying.  Lean forward and take notes during church. Don’t fidget, squirm, draw pictures or talk to your neighbor.  Respect God and His Word by paying attention to his servants.

There are many passages in the Bible that communicate how important attentiveness is.  Here are a few of them to study with your mother:

Proverbs 1:5,8

Proverbs 4:10

Luke 11:28

James 1:9

A little princess who is attentive to God and others, shows that she is becoming “all glorious within!”