Tag: slowtospeak

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 NLT

It’s hard to be a good listener. Someone says something that triggers us. We want to stop someone in their train of thought, in their tracks to either correct them, express our disdain or just force our opinion on them. When that’s not what the Bible is telling us. Not letting someone speak and interrupting is just, well, it’s rude. Sometimes we do it because we don’t want to forget what we want to say. Well, if you happen to forget, maybe it’s for a reason. Has that happened to you then later, it comes back to you. That can be a good thing, now you have the chance to evaluate what was said and your response. Now maybe if it is something critical and ground breaking you have the opportunity to sort it out for yourself before you go spewing out words that you either regret or at this point irrelevant.

You’ve heard it before, “God gave us two ears and one mouth” for a reason. He wants us to listen more, to Him and others. “Quick to listen.” The word quick in the original Greek, ταχύς tachus takh-oos’ means; of uncertain affinity; fleet, i.e. (figuratively) prompt or ready:–swift. The word prompt stuck out to me. Prompt – being on time, punctual (Wordnik). So once again I began to think. When we are listening and the other person says something that triggers us to interrupt that should be a prompt. Just as the definition says “on time”, like an actor has a cue to deliver a line or an action, we need to be prompt in delivering silence.

This gives us the opportunity for the next part, to be slow to speak and slow to anger. What’s more important to have your opinion expressed or to just let the other person have their say regardless if it triggers something in you? When the other person is talking you then have the opportunity to ask questions. Try asking a question about that trigger. Ask why they feel that way, what lead to that conclusion, maybe the other person has a valid point, maybe they can give you more information to form your own opinion. If the other person is a good listener he or she will give you the opportunity to respond.

If the trigger is something that really rubs you the wrong way, pray about it. Ask God how you should respond. Pray for the other person. This can be a hard thing to do but it’s what God asks us to do, James 1:19. He also tells us to Pray about everything, Philippians 4:6 -“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” And as hard as it can be to keep our mouths shut and our ears open, Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” And this can be applied to James 1:19 because it’s what God is asking us to do.