We have 2 ears and 1 mouth. God created them for a purpose. Everyday we listen to things, the sounds, the ambient and conversations. Yet there are moments where we heard someone said something but then we do not know what it was. This is because we are not listening. To listen isn’t just letting sound waves enter our ear, it is an action. Hearing on the other hand requires us to do nothing, do don’t have to move your hear to hear the bird chirping, sounds just enter by themselves.
In the Bible, the word listen and obey came from the same root word “Shema”. When we listen, we are actively focusing on what the speaker is trying to say and then we obey. If they are people above us we do what they say, if it is a teacher at school we learn what they say and if it is the bible we meditate on it day and night.
But sadly not many of us know actually listen all the time, or that when we speak people do not listen to us. Fortunately the act of listening is closely related to speaking and by doing one better we can improve the other as well.
How to speak so that we listen better:
The first one is honesty, we speak what is and we say yes if it’s true and no if it’s not
But let [n]your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. (Mat 5:37)
Then we have Authenticity, being yourself, don’t try to be someone else when you can be the best you.
Next is Integrity, being what you say. Do not forsake your own words by not doing what you believe in. This will cause people to stop trusting you because you don’t even trust yourself.
Last but not least is Love. Doing things with love makes everything brighter. A gloomy day can be warm with a drop of love our lips.
Love beautify the previous three, with pure honesty we can offend somebody but polished with love, our words can be a blessing
With Honesty, Authenticity, Integrity and Love we can learn to listen better. Because only when we stop talking can we truly listen. And by practicing to speak better, we can listen better.
James 1:19 [Full Chapter] [ Qualities Needed in Trials ] So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
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