There's a big difference between listening, hearing, and understanding. Listening is active; you're not just passively receiving information, you're actually paying attention and trying to absorb what's being said. Hearing is passive; you're simply allowing the noise to reach your ears without really processing it. Understanding is when you can take what you've heard and make sense of it. God often speaks to us through other people, so it's important that we learn to listen well. But even if we're just listening passively, He can still get our attention. And if we really understand what He's saying to us, it will change our lives!