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How should we listen to a journeying reality, no matter how ugly it is (Galatians 4:19)?
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We must listen without backing away, with a vision knowingly that the Spirit of God is alive and moving to restore the soul.
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We should listen to a journeying reality without backing away or any display of feeling repulsed by what the person reveals. God has shown grace to us so we must show grace to those who open up their soul to us.
Then we should listen aware of how we can flexibly follow the basic model of SoulCare. No matter how messy it gets we can always steer the dialogue at appropriate places, back to the basic model.
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We should listen with a vision in mind, knowing that the grace of God is sufficient, the power of God is available to take a person from wherever they are and move to them to becoming an image bearer.
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We listen with a sense of joining that person’s struggle to see them go through the process of being broken before God, repenting of their sinful response, aGbandoning themselves to God, gaining the confidence that God is enough, and seeing the release that brings.
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We want to listen with a twinkle in our eye, the twinkle that shows hope in what God has done in the redeemed soul we are sitting with. We do not need to push for change, because change is the Spirit’s work. We listen and stay, even when we feel like running away emotionally.