The Word is clear that man has difficulty listening because we have not learned to be quiet. We absolutely love to hear our own voice and we are sometimes selfish when it comes to having a conversation with another. James encourages us, "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God."
If we could be honest with each other today, we would confess that we often talk too much. And often when we are swift to speak, our words come out all wrong. We say things that we do not mean and sometimes disclose information that is better left unsaid. I do it. You do it. We all do it.
We seldom take time to truly listen when others speak. We sometimes cannot wait for others to hush so we can say something in return. We are selfish and have not cultivated the art of listening. This is something we must learn. We must learn to be courteous in conversation and realize it includes both talking and listening. Listening reflects value in the other person and declares that what they have to say is important to you.
Be "swift to hear, slow to speak" and watch your relationships change and improve. We must learn to simply listen.
