It means, in comparison to the volume of words flooding the world, we should let our words be graciously few. Slow to speak, and That’s a helpful picture. With that in mind, have you ever noticed how small the Bible is? Words hurt far more than sticks and stones, and the wounds they leave take far longer to heal. We talk about taking our cities for Christ and winning America back to God. Technology is useless (and even dangerous) if we are so busy and so distracted that we are not “quick to hear” what God is saying to us. We’re on a mission to change that. Satan, the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), has filled the airwaves, cyber-waves, print-waves, brainwaves, and every other wave of human communication with lying words. Your love, Lord Jesus. Listen to free internet radio, sports, music, news, talk and podcasts. That sort of talk can lead to some disastrous results: “I took my city for Christ, but my wife left me.” We’re quick to do many things that don’t matter. o wonder we are easily distracted. Wisdom is better than gold or silver (vv. By wisdom kings reign (v. 15). No, James is speaking of that deep emotion which, when released, is like a volcano erupting. Bible verses about listening Listening is a very important concept in the Bible. “Don’t get worked up into a rage so easily” (Voice). At the gate and on the plane, you see people with their heads down, looking at their smartphones, or apparently talking to themselves (though they are actually on the phone). Anger is an emotion we control. Listen to learn. “Slow to wrath” (ASV). James is not saying don’t get angry. Listen More, Talk Less by Rob Rienow | Nov 30, 2015 Here is a refrain we have heard many times through our years of counseling teens and young adults. “Do you see a man who speaks in haste? And the post-Eden world has been a whirlwind of words. That’s because anger is an emotion you can control. Unkind words don’t break bones; they break hearts. Talk Less, Listen More offers parents of 2-12 year-olds new, easy-to-implement strategies to manage their childrenâs difficult behaviour and equip kids with Description Talk Less, Listen More offers parents of 2-12 year-olds new, easy-to-implement strategies to manage their childrenâs difficult behaviour and equip kids with essential impulse-control skills. Gentle – 1 Timothy 3:3. We live in a time of information explosion. That’s unrealistic. That means everything we see is a word of God, and many things we don’t see, like every angel and demon, every galaxy and quark in existence. The whole world is now “live” and in “real-time.” Stories change every few minutes, and the screen you’re watching may have an anchor reading a story with an image to the right, a sidebar to the left, with a screen crawl at the top and another at the bottom so that you’re following five different information sources at the same time on the same screen. Since the fall of man, the human tongue has always been “a restless evil,” “a world of unrighteousness,” setting whole forests of humanity on fire (James 3:5–8). Not long ago I spoke to a group of men who serve the Lord in various leadership positions around the world. We have enough online stimulation to keep us occupied round the clock. In the first century, believers didn’t have all the advantages we have. You cannot understand the cross unless you see in it God’s love. Each part requires its own Mindset, Strategy and technique to be effective. We would do well to listen more and speak less â and when we do speak, to only speak what he gives us to say. And when speaking to others, perhaps we must take more seriously the concise commands to be “slow to speak” (James 1:19) and to “let no corrupting talk come out of [our] mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29). Some years ago Bob Moorehouse wrote an essay called The Paradox of Our Time. Nothing pleases a person like that. Wisdom gains favor from the Lord (v. 35). Why did he choose the words he did? Too many words inevitably result in sin (Proverbs 10:19). This year the number of text messages will exceed 6 trillion. When I look at my iPhone, I see tons of apps, all of them brimming with information that flows in 24 hours a day. Therefore, like anything else, we get used to it. Jesus also encouraged us as parents to do everything in our power to encourage our kids toward faith in Him (see Mark 10:14). Sometimes we talk of “blowing up” as if it happened against our will. Solomon says it is better to control your temper than to “take a city.” We use that military imagery all the time in Christian circles. The word translated “quick” was used in a slightly different form in John 20:4 to describe Peter outrunning John to the empty tomb. Bible verses related to Listening from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance - Sort By Book Order James 1:19 - Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let ⦠Selling is really 2 parts Finding the people to sell AND Selling the people you find. You’re not as smart as you think you are, and neither am I. Confessing the sins of our lips to God (1 John 1:9), and to appropriate others (James 5:16). How many times have we said something in anger only to regret it a thousand times later? To help put that number in perspective, here are rough estimates for several popular books or authors: Numbers like these simply make us pause and wonder over God’s written word economy. It doubled again in 150 years. Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. It is the Spirit of God speaking through the word of God. Of the likely thousands of answers to those questions, what we know is that Jesus limited himself to speaking only what the Father gave him to speak (John 8:28). Your courage, Lord Jesus. But never before have so many been able to say so much in so many ways. Listen more. A talk less, listen more response is one of the best gifts I can offer others when life is hard, disappointing or outright devastating. But inner space is another matter. Men, women, boys and girls were affected in ⦠That sort of anger brings the smell of death with it. Wisdom begins when we listen more and talk less. It doesn’t refer to a passing moment of displeasure which is soon gone and forgotten. That’s why the Father says to us of his Son, “listen to him” (Matthew 17:5). If that’s true for us, we need the stillness more than we realize. That rarely happens nowadays. It is easy to get listening confused with hearing. Quick speaking leads to quick anger. Now do the same for others. For that matter, if James was indeed the first book of the New Testament, they couldn’t read Romans because it hadn’t been written yet. 7 Smart Reasons You Should Talk Less and Listen More Saying less and hearing more has huge benefits that most people miss. Let’s focus on the three basic commands James gives us. Here’s the proof. We ought to be “outrunning” ourselves to find out what God has to say to us. As I studied the two lists Paul made, I found 5 of the 25 character qualities unquestionably related to a man and his anger: Not overbearing – Titus 1:7 Why didn’t he say more? Your kindness, Lord Jesus. Communication and connection with our kids is crucial, yet in so many homes relationships are broken. Holman Christian Standard Bible ⦠The translators handle this last command in a variety of ways: “Slow to anger” (ESV). We would do well to listen more and speak less â and when we do speak, to only speak what he gives us to say. If Jesus limited himself to speaking only what the Father gave him to speak, if he spoke carefully and prayerfully, if he could have said more at times but held back, what does that mean for us? If I was attending an event of some sort, I like to walk the room and jump around to talk to different people from different parts of the guest list. In the old days (maybe 10 years ago), when you got on an airplane, you might actually chat with the person sitting next to you. For the most part, hearing the Word meant meeting with other believers and listening to the Word being taught. Goodbye.” You hang the phone up and go at it again. These verses appear simple, but putting them into practice is a daily challenge. A heinous crime paid an impossible debt. Seek the rock of refuge. . By the end of World War II, knowledge doubled every 25 years. You’re not as clever as you think you are, and neither am I. God blesses those who walk in wisdom (v. 32). In context, this sort of listening starts by paying attention to what God has said in his Word. The work of salvation was finally done: See, from his head, his hands, his feet, Therefore let your words be few. Ironically, the more we talk, the less weâre able to communicate. Every part of that seems very true, but I was especially drawn to this sentence: “We’ve conquered outer space but not inner space.” Everything we build is bigger, stronger, faster, and larger. Are we quick to listen to the Word of God? In that chapter wisdom is personified as a woman speaking to the reader: Wisdom calls (v. 1). That sort of anger can never produce a life pleasing to God. The talk of a good person is rich fare for many, but chatterboxes die of an empty heart. Through the death of an innocent man, we the guilty go free. Jesus didn’t come to make us nicer people. I wonder who is better off, the first-century believers who had almost no copies of the Word or 21st-century believers who have the Bible at our fingertips. Grace to us, grace to others. If someone left this article on your desk, read extra carefully. You cannot understand God’s love unless you go to the cross. Some people talk so much that they never hear what anyone else says. The angrier we get, the faster we speak, and the less we hear. Unlike us, Jesus seems to have been a man of few, potent human words. We are commanded to listen to Godâs instructions. But the hurricane has an eye. Not quarrelsome – 1 Timothy 3:3 And daily taking refuge from the hurricane of words in the eye of the word of God. The few, powerful, nourishing words of God are still waters and green pastures of refreshment; they are Gibraltar-like rocks of refuge from the whirling wicked words careening across the world in which we live. I like it as a personal habit to adopt. Slow to anger. Listening more can help you gain information, learn more about others, and learn to express yourself concisely. They didn’t have printed copies of the New Testament. Your compassion, Lord Jesus. So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; King James Bible. Anger leads to jealousy, harsh words, and it can even lead to murder. He is the father of lies (John 8:44), and wields power over the world (1 John 5:19). We have been forgiven; we know what it is like. And the Word’s few spoken human words have more power in them than five hundred trillion words of men, angels, and demons. But if we are slow to hear, we will doubtless be quick to speak. He is author of three books. Each day 5000 new books are published. “As he is so also are we in the world” (1 John 4:17). But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; New King James Version. Your joy, Lord Jesus. Let us lay aside these sins and weights by: Our God is a speaking God. In order to move away from bitterness, anger, and hurtful words, we need to take Ephesians 4:32 to heart: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”. Speak only when it's important. The world rewards the warriors while the patient men change diapers and take out the garbage. I have a friend who says that he and his wife have a simple morning rule: “No Bible, no breakfast.” I used to hear that said 40 years ago. She speaks noble things (v. 6). I talked to them about the character qualities of a godly man in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Proverbs 10:19 The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words. Wisdom says, “If you seek me, you will find me.” Are we too busy, too worried, too preoccupied, too distracted (a very modern problem) to seek the wisdom God offers in his Word? I have news apps, email apps, message apps, music apps, and video apps. We acclimate to the howling wind of words. The human heart seems as unruly as ever. He leaned down and kissed Listen More Talk Less Think Positively You Are Special shirt . Listening is an important skill that needs to be developed. There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Ogden Nash put this principle into a neat little rhyme: “To keep your marriage brimming, with love in the loving cup, whenever you’re wrong, admit it. That sort of anger only destroys; it never builds up. Listen to empathize. We’re not even close to conquering that. Letting our words be appropriately few to God (Ecclesiastes 5:2) and to others (James 1:19). Not violent – 1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7 But we also need to speak less. Anger is under our control. Active listening is important at work, school, home, and in social situations. How To Listen More and Talk Less - Duration: 3:20. But no one gains wisdom by chance. Come, Lord Jesus, transform us by the power of your Word so that your beauty may be seen in us. Most of us are better at the former and not so good at the latter. Talk Less Listen More â (123 Magic & Emotion Coaching) ONLINE PARENTING COURSE â $29 If youâre a parent whoâs reaching the end of your rope with your childâs meltdowns and difficult behaviour, we have good news for you. Listen more and talk less. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to ⦠But notice the progression. The Bible also teaches us to love others â and listening to them is a way that we communicate love. It meant hearing, memorizing and then meditating on what you had heard. Our wonder increases when we think that during the most important moment in human history, when the Word himself became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), we only have a relative handful of recorded words that he actually spoke. At a little over 750,000 words, most English versions of the Bible have less than two thousand pages. What we are on the inside matters more than what happens on the outside. It can be rude not to listen ⦠Out in the h TRENDTEESHIRT - ⦠Seek the hurricane’s eye. By Minda Zetlin, Co ⦠Good News Translation The longer you argue, the more useless it is, and you are no better off. Our God is a speaking God. My friends, listen more, talk less, and be slow to wrath, and be ye not just hearers of the word, but doers of the word. The Wisdom of Silence: Learning to Talk Less and Say More In that space between our words, that sweet and sacred space, itâs where we find ourselves â our freedom and liberation â from all that is false, fearful, and erroneous. When I was a child, people used to say “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That’s a nice, brave saying, and it works pretty well if you have no feelings. Whenever you’re right, shut up.” It’s so easy to kill a marriage or a friendship with unkind words. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. One could rightly say God speaks a lot. I read recently that over 100 billion emails are sent each day. (Ecclesiastes 5:2). Did e’er such love or sorrow meet, Not quick-tempered – Titus 1:7 James 1:19-20 specifically answers the question, How do you respond properly when the heat is on, the pressure is building, and you are about to lose it? Not less than 100 property were looted, destroyed or touched by irate youths in the name of EndSARS protest. I rarely like to sit in one place for an extended period of time. We’ve come a long way in a short time. If you read this sermon and think, “I should try harder to listen more, speak less, and calm down,” that’s a good sentiment, but it misses the point. There was more he could have said (John 16:12), but he guarded his mouth, speaking carefully and prayerfully only what gave grace to his hearers (Ephesians 4:29), or delivered the needed rebuke and reproof (2 Timothy 4:2). He came to make us new people. We are to extend grace to others as God has extended grace to us. My greatest challenge is the man in the mirror. Meyer said that when he felt himself getting angry or irritable, he asked the Lord for the quality most needed at that moment: Your patience, Lord Jesus. Here’s a simple piece of advice when you are tempted to do that: You can delete a foolish comment, but you can’t erase it from the Internet. When they are happy, that makes them angry. No one would trade our technology for life 2000 years ago, but I will say this. When James says “Be slow to speak,” he is thinking about our tendency to speak when we are angry and frustrated. Explore our collection of motivational and famous quotes by authors you know and love. Now, when you have to listen to someone talk for more than 5 or 10 minutes, you immediately lose focus. The more talk, the less truth; the wise measure their words. Therefore let your words be few.” It’s hard to argue with that. Sometimes we are so eager to post our comments that we hit Send and then start chuckling over our cleverness. Talk less. We’ve done larger things, but not better things. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright © 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. When Christ gives you new life by the Spirit, you are no longer a victim under sin’s power, but a victor who has the strength to triumph. Its sixty-six “books” are brief, some only a few pages long. And he intends for us to learn from him (Matthew 11:29). Absorb your moments fully, be undistracted by trying to find witty or adequate words. . The next doubling took only 250 years. If we believe that in Jesus Christ dwells all the fullness of God (and we do), and if we believe Christ dwells in our hearts by faith (and we do), then we may believe that in our lives this week the fullness of Christ, the beauty of Christ, the grace of Christ, the mercy of Christ, the holiness of Christ, and the kindness of Christ may fill us and drive out the evil—the lust, greed, impatience, unbelief, critical spirit, and the angry intolerance that holds us back. It’s not much of a contest. Have you ever had an argument with your spouse and the phone rang right in the middle of the argument? You were raising your voice and getting red in the face and then, “Hello, how are you? I reminded the men of Solomon’s wise counsel in Proverbs 16:32, “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” But of course we don’t really believe it. Do it, O Lord! Not so much nowadays. He is not silent. Strangely, the hush of the eye can feel strange. We have to plan to hear the Word. They didn’t have the Bible on a smartphone app so they could read it wherever they went. The Word is speaking into existence you and everything else that exists. Her on the forehead and left the room. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. That’s more than ten times the population of the whole world. Listen to validate. “Slow to lose his temper” (Phillips). Mindset, Strategy and Technique. When you study the 25 character qualities and put them in groups, you discover the single largest group involves a man and his anger. 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