Are you LISTENING or ASSUMING?

"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 NIV


Listening is almost a lost art!  People hear your words, but fail to pick up on what you are actually saying!  Many times, they are busy thinking of what they want to say next from a snippet of something you have said and they begin to put together their own thoughts instead of listening to you all the way through.   Many times they ASSUME instead of truly LISTEN!   We do the same thing with God.  He begins to speak, and instead of truly listening, we begin to imagine what He truly means.  This is when we set out to do "our" thing we think God told us to do and are met with disappointment because the end result is nothing like what we "imagined"!  Listening is so important.  I am sure you have heard the phrase, "The reason God gave you two ears and one mouth is because He wants you to listen more than speak!"  Oh, how true!!  "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to LISTEN, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."  So much attracts to us that is  unnecessary, because we do the opposite of this verse.  It actually brings unnecessary and undeserved anger according to the word, not to mention disappointment, misunderstanding, division, and the list goes on when we don't listen thoroughly!  Again, being still and SILENT before the Lord is equally as important as confessing!  Realize, I didn't say it was MORE important, I said it was equally as important!  Confessing and praying God's word is essential!  But, listening is just as essential.  I had a pastor's wife one time that said anything that was out of balance in our lives was the devil's workshop.  Through the years I have seen just how right she was!  God speaks to us through His word, through teaching CDs, through our pastors and leaders, through other believers, and through the Holy Spirit Himself!!  Make it a goal to listen thoroughly!  To speak less and actually 'hear' more!  Have you ever noticed people who are extremely quiet?  My husband is this way.  He is a very quiet man.  He says very little, BUT when he does speak it is like E.F. Hutton, people stop and listen!  Why?  Because great wisdom flows from my husband!  They know when he speaks, great truth and wisdom is going to flow out!  Why is that?  Well, for one reason my husband is a very wise man!  But, the reason he is such a wise man, is because he has spent most of his time LISTENING and LEARNING!!  That is why he is so quiet.  He is taking it all in!  If this blog is not for anyone else, I know it is for me!  Thank God for His word becoming revelation on what seems so little to us.  Those "little" things bring GREAT rewards!  Have a blessed and rewarding  day, my friend, all day!!