Listen

It seems that we are living in a period in time when everyone is doing a lot of talking and not many are doing much listening. Over the past few decades the growth of online availability and the many social media outlets have given a lot of new ways of talking to each other. A large number of people are now taking advantage of these outlets because they feel it gives them a voice, and let’s just admit that for most people talking comes easily. But the struggle is, no matter how many ways of talking we have we each still only have two ears to listen with. As I was thinking about this, a few verses from Proverbs came to mind. The first is, “The one who gives an answer before he listens — this is foolishness and disgrace for him” Proverbs 18:13 CSB. How often have you found yourself ready to answer someone before they finished speaking? Or maybe you have noticed that you tend to interrupt people to answer them before they have stopped speaking. Have you ever caught yourself answering someone who wasn’t expecting you to answer at all? Solomon tells us that it is foolish and disgraceful to reply or speak until after we have given our full attention to listening. Often, if we truly engage in deep listening we will find that the person we are listening to has already answered their own question, and they don’t need to hear from us at all. They just needed someone to listen. By the way, listening this way is hard work because it requires my full attention, and I must be ok with periods of quiet pauses. These pauses are often uncomfortable but needed for thoughts to be completely explored.
The second verse is all about perception, “Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent — discerning, when he seals his lips” Proverbs 17:28 CSB. I love this verse. You see, often I find that I don’t have much advice to give, or I don’t have much to add to a conversation. This verse reminds me that by keeping my mouth shut I don’t end up leading people in the wrong direction, and I don’t end up saying things that later on in life I wish I hadn’t said. Quite honestly I would rather be considered wise than open my mouth and prove otherwise. How about you? Are you a talker or a listener? Do you like to give answers or lead people to answers?

-Pastor Tim