As I have been meditating on the word, "Selective," I have begun to realize and identify key areas to be selective in, in order to enhance our productivity. Just as a mother so trains her child, the first and foremost area needing this skill is in the area of our listening.

God, Himself, so created us that our sense of hearing would be the first to develop, beginning in our mother's womb.

From birth we were trained to listen for our mother's voice. From the sound of her voice, we move to learning to distinguish new sounds from secondary caregivers. Once able to select the sound of her voice from others this cultivates discernment in our hearing for new sounds and different voices.

Whether for families or businesses, Selective Listening becomes a tool for productivity with which we can become most adept.

Let me ask you, "At what point in your day do you begin listening?" Is it the moment you awaken, or is it only after you have that morning coffee, tea, shower, breakfast, or a myriad of other waking rituals we create to get us going?

What do you hear?

Is it your mate snoring because you arise first, or a baby's cry, or the dreaded alarm again, or the radio blaring? Is it silence of an empty house, one more day? Could it be the birds chirping, or a shower running, or could it be, God's Voice whispering?

Once up and out, what do you hear?

Is it the turning on of the television, announcing to all the catastrophes that have hit our world, or someone else's while we slept? Is it the products we need to buy because we are SO needy without them?

Is it the demands of the teenager distraught because a piece of clothing was not washed, or a sick child throwing up in the bathroom, or the demanding squeals, chirps, barks, or meows of the unfed?

Is it the ever, and ongoing tape in your head, persuading you to listen and revisit what your mom, or dad, or teacher, or so-called friend of the past had said about what you are doing, or are intending to do this day?

Is it your own voice encouraging or discouraging you?

What ARE you listening to?

Consider this paramount scripture connecting the blessings of Heaven to God's people: "And it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord your God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command you this day, that the Lord you God will set you on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on you and overtake you, if you shall hearken unto the voice of the Lord you God." Deuteronomy 28:1-2

Does this not sound like a productive life, being set "high above all the nations of the earth?"

Is not this what so many of our competitors are competing and jousting one another for, some even willing to do damage to others just to obtain something more for themselves?

Does it not stand to reason, that to be productive, we MUST train our ears to hear this sound, the sound of God's Voice first and foremost, before all other sounds, before all other voices?

This word "hearken" has an interesting definition as it applies to our Selective Listening skill derived from my favorite dictionary by Noah Webster, 1828:

1-To listen: to lend the ear; to attend to what is uttered, with eagerness or curiosity.

2-To regard; to give heed to what is uttered; to observe or obey.

3-To grant or comply with.

As a verb transitive, it means, "To hear by listening.""

Obviously, there is more at stake in our personal selections than simply what are we are going to do today.

What we choose to do, where we choose to go, whom we choose to be, ultimately reveals who and what we are listening to.

Before you prioritize that next to do list, or order that next computer part for your desktop, or sign up for that next service, be sure you set your ears "to hear by listening," and make a moment to select the right "channel" to listen to.

Once you are tuned in, take the time to listen deeply and quietly a moment for that wind that only your inner ear can hear. Doing so, can make you more productive by helping you select your best options.

There are directions and instructions you many not have heard before. Perhaps what you hear could cut your costs and time in more than half, just for the listening! "Be quick to listen…"and so we must, to be highly productive and blessed.

What could be the very least benefit of this practice? Selective Listening will no doubt shape your character in the process, and this is priceless!