We Need to Listen More than We Speak
OPENING PRAYER:
Lord, it is so easy to want to give advice to others. Help me to learn how to avoid that when inappropriate. Amen
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”
James 1:19-20 NIV
REFLECT:
The focus Scripture for today is one that I found early in my administrative career, and I had it posted on the telephone receiver on my desk. I also had Proverbs 15:1a, “A gentle answer turns away wrath” attached there.
Both Scriptures guided me through some difficult times when I first went to the Garden City, KS school system. The Hispanic community was up in arms over the way they felt their children had been treated in the school system. There were several civil rights legal actions filed against the district.
We were blessed to have a strong community group called the Hispanic Professionals. Several of them came to me and asked if I would be willing to meet with them at their monthly meetings. The first six months of meetings were bloody in many ways. I followed the advice of James 1:19 and listened. My board president and I heard the same concerns at each meeting until the January meeting. At that time, I followed the advice of Proverbs 15:1 and gently said to them, “We now have heard your concerns and we would like your help in correcting them.” Over the next six months to a year, we began to have them meet with different ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) staff. By working together, the Hispanic community and staff were able to work out positive steps to improve the concerns.
APPLY:
The friends of Job, in the Old Testament, initially got it right and listened for seven days but then they did what too many of us do. They began to outline the solutions to Job’s problem. We need to avoid this if we want to implement the focus Scripture. My Dad always reminded me that God gave me two ears to listen and only one mouth to speak. Each of us needs to write the words of James 1:19 on our heart and put them into practice.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord, help us to speak less and listen more. Amen