Listen Before Speaking

James 1:19-21The Message
19 Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. 20 God's righteousness doesn't grow from human anger. 21 So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.

So often, we want to be heard. We want to get our opinion across or point made. We want to convince others that we are right. James urges us to be quick to listen. When reading these verses in the greater context of the verses surrounding these, James is not just talking about listening in general but listening to the Word of God. James is really writing, "When you are listening to the Word of God, give careful attention."

We don't listen very well when we are talking. If we really want to hear what God is saying, then we need to stop talking and listen to him. Very few times does God shout at us. More often He speaks to us in a "still small voice." Prayer for us is seldom a conversation, more often it is a monologue. We tell God what we think He needs to know. Maybe you should try another approach if you think God is not answering your prayer. Try listening. Hear His quiet soft voice.