--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We do God’s work for our brothers and…" description: "\"We do God’s work for our brothers and sisters when we learn to listen to them. So often Christians, especially preachers, think that their only service..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d06/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_brother_we-do-god-s-work-for-our-brothers-and-si_602705.jpg" --- # We do God’s work for our brothers and sisters when we… ![“We do God’s work for our brothers and sisters when we learn to listen to them. So often Christians, especially preachers, think that their only service is always to have to 'offer' something when they are together with other people. They forget that listening can be a greater service than…” quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d06/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_brother_we-do-god-s-work-for-our-brothers-and-si_602705.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d06/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_brother_we-do-god-s-work-for-our-brothers-and-si_602705.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d06/dietrich-bonhoeffer-303_brother_we-do-god-s-work-for-our-brothers-and-si_602705.jpg) > “We do God’s work for our brothers and sisters when we learn to listen to them. So often Christians, especially preachers, think that their only service is always to have to 'offer' something when they are together with other people. They forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking. Many people seek a sympathetic ear and do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking even when they should be listening.” [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Listening to others is a profound act of service, often more valuable than speaking. **In simple terms:** Listening can be a greater service than speaking. Key Takeaway Prioritize listening over speaking. Themes service empathy community faith Mood reflective compassionate Type spiritual ethical When to use this quote - pastoral counseling - friendship - conflict resolution - support groups - church gatherings Key Concepts Christian ministry active listening humility Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice deeper listening? - What barriers prevent you from listening? A Different Perspective Listening alone may not solve problems; action may still be needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Brothers and sisters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brothers-and-sisters/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Preacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preacher/) [Sympathetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sympathetic/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking where they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/many-people-are-looking-for-an-ear-that-will-listen-they-do-not-find-2/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. 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What other kind of Christian is there?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-terry/it-s-kind-of-fun-to-listen-to-christians-who-say-i-m-a-new-testament/) [Randall Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-terry/) > [We are separated from one another by an unbridgeable gulf of otherness and strangeness which resists all our attempts to overcome it by means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/we-are-separated-from-one-another-by-an-unbridgeable-gulf-of/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [I had a hard time treating my field as if it's horse racing, putting actors in competition against each other. I see how the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-had-a-hard-time-treating-my-field-as-if-it-s-horse-racing-putting/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Strange how love coexists with hate, how they render eachother mute, how the swilling of them together makes a new and softer, sympathetic thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-hartnett/strange-how-love-coexists-with-hate-how-they-render-eachother-mute/) [Sonya Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-hartnett/) > [The science of the future will be based on sympathetic vibrations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-steiner/the-science-of-the-future-will-be-based-on-sympathetic-vibrations/) [Rudolf Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-steiner/) > [You can't dictate if a character's going to come off as sympathetic to an audience. 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Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [The easiest way for readers to connect with characters and feel sympathy is to make the character entertaining, sympathetic and likeable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randa-abdel-fattah/the-easiest-way-for-readers-to-connect-with-characters-and-feel/) [Randa Abdel-Fattah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randa-abdel-fattah/) > [While husbands and lovers in the stories are of all kinds, ranging from sympathetic to disgusting, women are invariably deceivers: inconstant, unscrupulous, quarrelsome, querulous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/while-husbands-and-lovers-in-the-stories-are-of-all-kinds-ranging/) [Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/) ## More by Dietrich Bonhoeffer > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Why do Christians sing when they are together? 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