Not being heard. Not being understood. It’s one of the quietest but most painful killers of any relationship. When one person refuses to listen, the other eventually stops speaking. And when words are gone, resentment creeps in, cracks begin to widen, and anger takes root.
God designed relationships to be built on mutual love and respect—not one-sided silence. Scripture reminds us, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). Listening is not optional in love—it’s an act of honor. To truly hear someone is to make space for their soul, their feelings, their perspective. Without it, the relationship stalls.
When no effort is made to understand, when questions aren’t asked, when change is ignored, the one who longs to be heard begins to retreat. They stop trying. They stop pouring into something that feels like a desert. The relationship begins to feel pointless—like a performance without substance. One person grows self-righteous, while the other carries the weight of silence alone.
But God calls us to a better way: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). Love that refuses to listen is not love at all. True love listens. True love seeks understanding. True love makes room for both voices.
If you’ve ever felt the ache of silence in a relationship, know this: God hears you, even when others don’t. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14). You were never meant to be dismissed or disregarded. Your voice matters, your heart matters, and in God’s love—you are always heard.
