1 Samuel 25:35
“So David received from her hand what she had brought him, and said to her, ‘Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded your voice and respected your person.’”

People listen to people for different reasons, but one primary reason people listen to people is that they respect them. There is a critical connection between respect and listening, and that’s the focus of today’s devotion.

You can’t force people to listen to you. In fact, if you have to force people to listen, then you don’t have moral authority over them. Most dictators force people to go in specific directions against their will, and that’s not willing obedience.

As pilgrims, we must never wield the sword of fear over people. That’s not the way to make people listen. We need to find ways to help people respect us first, and then they will gladly listen to what we expect from them.

In the context of today’s Bible reading, David had four hundred armed men with him. David was on a mission to destroy Nabal and his household. Then, he meets one woman along the way, and his mind is completely changed. What happened?

David said, “I have heeded your voice and respected your person.” (NKJV). In the NIV, his words are translated as saying, “granted your request.” If you connect both together, it means that David listened to her and granted her request because he respected her.

It’s hard to make people change their minds if they don’t respect you. For this reason, one of the greatest things we need to work on developing is how to gain the respect of people. David was meeting Abigail for the first time, but she already earned his respect.

How did she do this? By her actions and her words. Our words and actions are the greatest tools to gain respect. Even our enemies will respect us if we act wisely, justly, reasonably, patiently, and in love. This is the key we must not overlook.

I want to reiterate. Forcing compliance is not the pilgrim way. It may work for a while, but any compliance that comes from coercion does not last. We need to earn respect to deserve listenership. Look at Jesus. We listen to Him because He deserves it.