Be a Better Listener

James 1:19-“…Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak…”

I recall fellowshipping once with a gentleman who told me that the two most traumatic experiences he’d suffered in life were the deaths of his mother and his dog. To be totally honest, prior to Ollie (our dog) becoming a part of our family, I would not have been able to identify with how the loss of an animal could effect someone in such a traumatic way. But I got the revelation directly after our conversation that animals are often better listeners than humans. A few days after my dialogue with the gentleman, Ollie came into the room and before I knew it, I was having a conversation with him as if he were a person! Whenever I call his name, his ears perk up and he comes and gives his undivided attention.



One of the things that I’ve learned in the pastorate is the importance of listening. There are individuals who pay money just to have someone listen to them! Might I say that many problems that we’ve experienced could have been avoided had we just listened—from children listening to parents, to patients listening to doctors, to spouses listening to one another. How many times has The Lord given instructions on how to navigate through life through the preaching and teaching of His Word that we totally disregarded? Although James tells us to “be doers of the word and not hearers only…,” (James 1:22), he gives this advice three verses prior: “…Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak…” (James 1:19) In other words, there’s no way that we can “do” instructions that we didn’t hear.



The exhortation today is to be better listeners in every area of life—especially when it comes to hearing The Word of God.



Let’s Pray: “Father, help us to better listeners—specifically when it comes to hearing Your Word, in Jesus’ Name, amen.”



Daily Prayer:
“Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!”
The Prayer of Jabez, I Chronicles 4:10