"A Life of Listening" (Leighton Ford)

TITLE: A Life of Listening: Discerning God's Voice and Discovering Our Own
AUTHOR:Leighton Ford
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2019, (208 pages).

Listening is a critical part when it comes to spiritual direction. Our past explains the present. Our present appreciation of our history helps us make decisions pertaining to our future. More importantly, it is about our identity. In this honest and self-revealing book by one of the most gifted evangelists in this modern era, Ford gives us a glimpse of his life of listening to God. In doing so, he hopes to give us, and especially the younger readers among us the encouragement to listen to God in our own lives. Ford reminisces on Lake Rosseau, remembering his many Bible conferences attended when young. At the age of five, he was ready for a lifetime of devotion to the Lord. Using inspiration from the Welsh poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins, he aims to let his life listen to the voices of God through "Christ plays in ten thousand places." It started through his mother's guidance. As an adopted child, he gets a keen sense of appreciation about what it means to be adopted in Christ. His adopted parents frequent quarrels led him to discern on the meaning of his conflicted experiences. He learns the importance of personal listening. He learns the importance of prayers. Reflecting on the listening posture of the Bible character, Samuel, Ford connects the absence and presence of the voice with an inner voice of desire. When listening and desiring God comes together, it becomes a choice for a transforming friendship to develop. His call to be an evangelist comes from two sources: His mother and Billy Graham. He applied to enter Wheaton College at the recommendation of Billy Graham. Incredibly, he was rejected. After a determined pursuit, he was finally allowed in. Wheaton stretched his mind. He met and married Jeanie, the sister of Billy Graham. The voices for his three years at Wheaton include a young evangelist in Los Angeles, the pastor of the college chapel, his wife Jeanie, and the voice of the Spirit. He often compares his calling with the biblical stories, such as the ones where Paul mentored Timothy. Like how Billy mentored him to eventually take over the evangelistic ministry. One comforting thought is that even in the deepest fears and uncertainty, God still works through our weaknesses. Ford even hears from the Lord in the aftermath of an earthquake. During the dark nights of his soul, he often questioned the reality of his ministry. Sometimes, he would make the mistake of seeing the work of the Holy Spirit only in moments of high. It takes a while to learn that the reward for ministry success is none other than God Himself.


This memoir shows us that spiritual listening is not limited just to our vocation or our growth from childhood to adulthood. It is all of life, including those times in which we are still unbelievers. With frank openness and candid revelation of his own life, Ford has given us a map about his life. He invites us to sit with him as he shares about his own life. Just like the way he has described his life journey, he encourages us to seek God in our own journeys as well, to be ready to listen to whatever signs, life changes, and decisions to be made at crucial points. Spiritual listening comes before decision making. In fact, listening well directly impacts decision making. Even in dark times, God's voice is still audible, if we care enough to listen. Let me offer three reasons to read this book.

My Thoughts
First, we all need a voice to guide our ways. Whatever journeys we make, there will be ups and downs. God is with us through all times, not just the climactic highs. He is also with us through the valley of the shadow of death, just like what was described in Ps 23. If we fail to listen, we lose our discerning opportunities. The famous Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkergaard has said: "Life is lived forward and understood backward." Ford, through his reflection and retrospective writings show us that is so true. Each time we look back and reflect on our life's experiences, we learn new things. We hear God's voices in new ways. This voice is always present. Our listening ears are not as often actively engaged.

Second, paying attention to God's voice is a spiritual discipline we all need. We may not have some of the dramatic experiences like the author's. That does not minimize our own life experiences. Each of us have been created in the image of God. We are all precious in His Sight. There is no experience that He is not interested in. For God is love. By learning to cultivate this discipline, not only are we better listeners for ourselves, we train us to be spiritual mentors for others as well. This personal act of listening is an important fabric of a Christian community.

Third, note how deeply ingrained are the Scriptures in the life of the author. Page after page, there are thoughts on Jesus, on Bible references, and how the saints of old have reflected about their spiritual lives. No one becomes an eloquent listener overnight. Our listening curriculum is for life. There is no end point. For the greatest reward is God Himself.

I appreciate the author's honesty and self-revelation. Whether you write journals or diaries, blogs regularly or record spiritual thoughts, I would encourage you to learn from Leighton Ford's life of listening. Sometimes, we search the Internet or comb the libraries for precious resources, and fail to realize that the deepest treasures may lie within our own stories. Through prayer and biblical reflection, may our listening be helped through personal reflection and retelling of our own stories. For the uninitiated, pick up this book for a start.

Dr Leighton Ford is President of Leighton Ford Ministries that focus on raising young leaders in evangelism and mission worldwide. He has served as Associate Evangelist and Vice-President with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Inter-Varsity Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.