Day 1 – James 1:19

Know this my dear brothers and sisters: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to grow angry.

It’s interesting to see how James introduces, or shares, a principle through a pairing of contrary statements.  First we are told to be quick to listen.  It’s not a discussion about the quality, but simply an idea of when to listen – that being quickly.  He further solidifies the timeline with the contrary statement of being slow to speak.

As I look back on my adult life and examine the conflicts of which I’ve been involved, I realize that if I’d simply headed this advice and taken the time to listen to the other person, their position, and how the situation or words had impacted them physically or emotionally, how different things might have been.  Sadly, I still begin to formulate a response even from the first few words spoken.

I suspect I’m not alone in this practice. I’ve watched, and you can see people’s lips move as they formulate that response.  As Dr. Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People shares, it is in our nature to first be understood when truly, we need to seek to understand those with whom we are interacting.  As Dr. Covey indicates, we tend to listen autobiographically in an effort to understand and either validate or reject the message being conveyed by the party or group who is speaking to us.

By working to listen quickly, speak slowly, we can work to understand the other person, are less likely to run the message or situation through our personal filters for a response, and thereby fulfill the final piece of the instruction given by James: to be slow to grow angry.

Prayer: Lord God, grant me patience, strength and courage that I might abide by the instructions provided by James. That I might always seek to understand others without the prejudice of my own experiences.  Amen