Are We Listening?

 

A truly wise person uses few words;
    a person with understanding is even-tempered. 

Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
    with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

Proverbs 17:27-28

Ever notice how we, as a species, seem to have lost the ability to not talk?  Something gets said and suddenly there is a cacophony of voices responding with no one listening. Why is that?  

One of my favorite hobbies is people watching (and, yes, it involves coffee). People watching involves sitting quietly and observing.  It's amazing what one can discover when one is quiet and observant.  Sadly, because we like to talk so much, we shouldn't be surprised when people know our business without us having to directly tell them.  Ever had someone comment on something you were discussing and you were offended that they overheard you?  

Let me share an adage my Grampa shared with me: "If you are dumb enough to tell your business I'm smart enough to listen."James 1:19 states: "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger." 

We tend to get these ordered steps out of order in that we are quick to speak (usually without having all the information), slow to listen (because we think we have something to say and it's coming out baby!), and quick to anger (because we didn't listen first).

The old saying is true, "God has gifted us with TWO ears and ONE mouth so we may listen twice as much as we speak."