Developing an Ear for the Shepherd

The goal is not merely to change the tempo but to listen more closely to the Shepherd.

By: Bobby Scott, headmaster emeritus

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”
(John 10:27)

“Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it.” I believe this is a fairly accurate quote from Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, and perhaps it applies to the New Year as well. We have a new year, new hopes, new birthdays, and perhaps new goals, but still old habits, old attitudes, and maybe even old despair. Are we truly making progress in our parenting, in our priorities, and in our own growth as people who are not centered only on themselves?

Kingdom of Noise

C.S. Lewis once said that we are caught up in a Kingdom of Noise, and I would argue that the volume has increased in the over six decades since his death. The problem is that the noise does not come from one single source that we could simply destroy. Instead, the world, the flesh, and the devil combine to blast constant decibel levels into our minds, keeping us in a state of unrest and discontent. Even when our circumstances quiet down, we often experience a lingering ringing in our ears. So, how do we begin to hear clearly amid all this cacophony?

First, we must take intentional steps to eliminate some of the noise within our families. Have you ever walked into a large store while Christmas shopping and felt overwhelmed? Not only by the actual sound, but also by the sheer number of choices and piles of stuff. That overload can paralyze people who would gladly trade the deafening crash of convenience for the quiet of a small bakery. The noise of the world affects the hearts and minds of our children in the same way. With consumerism, entertainment, and electronics constantly marketed to children and teenagers, is it any wonder that clear thinking and moral discernment are difficult? This is true not only for our children but also for us. All this clutter can distort our thinking until we can no longer hear our own hearts, let alone the voice of the Shepherd.

But even if the world quiets down, can I trust my own heart or the heart of my child? Are my dreams for my children truly God’s plan, or merely my own desires? When I sense that suffering and pain may be part of God’s plan for my children, I am tempted to cover my ears and distract myself so I do not have to listen. It is difficult to pray and ask God to shatter my dreams for my children if that is what it takes to preserve their hearts for Him.

Listening More Closely to the Shepherd

Yet even if we manage to quiet the noise of the world, the flesh, and the devil, peace, joy, and contentment will remain faint unless we cultivate receptive ears and a different sound. My greatest fear is not that my children will stop listening to me or my ideas, but that they will turn a deaf ear to the Shepherd. If that happens, they will miss the truths of Psalm 119. God’s Word brings comfort in affliction in verse 50, wonder to the mind in verse 18, counsel for decisions in verse 24, repentance in sin in verses 28 and 29, confirmation of His promises in verse 38, courage under insult in verse 51, and understanding of who we are in our relationship to God in verses 169 through 176. I cannot open my children’s ears, but I can provide the sound.

Too much outside noise often leads to statements like these:
”We were simply too busy to get around to family devotions.”
”They get enough Bible at school.”
”I cannot understand how my child could think that way.”

With all the privileges and blessings our family has, why are we so cynical?

The goal is not merely to change the tempo, but to listen more closely to the Shepherd ourselves and to pray that our children hear Him too.

When they do, there is no greater joy.