Be Slow to Speak

Listening and Doing

19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

James 1:19 (New Living Translation)


God tells us to listen! James 1:19 - possibly one of the most disobeyed verses in the entire Bible. Take note of this: "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." Too many of us seem to have slightly rearranged some of the words in that verse - "Be slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to become angry."

What's the connection between not listening and getting angry? When we don't take time to really hear everything a person has to say, we react to the first things they say instead of waiting until we really understand what they're trying to communicate. Listeners try to hear the heart behind the words, the need that's behind the deed. People who would rather talk than listen jump on partial information, partial communication, and what's on the surface. No listening, no understanding. No understanding, wrong conclusions - and angry reactions.

Jesus said one of the two great commandments was to love your neighbor as you love yourself. One way you show that kind of unselfish love is to stop talking and listen to people as you want someone to listen to you. We want people to listen to us without interrupting, showing respect for what we're saying, giving us their undivided attention. Then to love them as we love ourselves means to give them that kind of attention.

There are few things you can do that say you value a person more than dropping everything to hear what they're saying - not just their words, but their heart. If you can't give them your total attention now, tell them when you can and give it to them. So many misunderstandings, so many arguments, so many harsh words, so many wounded children, so many broken relationships, so many bleeding churches, so many broken marriages - because someone just wasn't listening.

You can do something about it by really listening before you speak; by asking a person, "How do you feel?" before you ever say what you have to say. It's Christlike love in action. It's listening love.


Reference: [link]



Thank you for reading


God Bless You
Anthony Michael





The inspiration for this digital painting came from a wonderful photo taken by Countess-Grotesque. Please take a few minutes and check out her gallery: [link]