Many people want to learn to talk less and listen more. We acclimate to the howling wind of words. Each day 5000 new books are published. If that’s true for us, we need the stillness more than we realize. One could rightly say God speaks a lot. God blesses those who walk in wisdom (v. 32). The Word is speaking into existence you and everything else that exists. Unkind words don’t break bones; they break hearts. And daily taking refuge from the hurricane of words in the eye of the word of God. Christians are “Christ-ones.” We are being conformed to Christ’s image (Romans 8:29). It spews red-hot lava all over the living room. “Don’t get worked up into a rage so easily” (Voice). We’ve come a long way in a short time. 10-11). Not quarrelsome – 1 Timothy 3:3 They didn’t have printed copies of the New Testament. 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). Now, when you have to listen to someone talk for more than 5 or 10 minutes, you immediately lose focus. I’m sure you’ve heard it said: Speak when you are angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret. Our God is a speaking God. Nothing pleases a person like that. This epistle, written 2000 years ago to beleaguered, scattered, oppressed Jewish believers who were just barely hanging on to their faith, speaks with amazing clarity to life in the 21st-century. We’ve added years to life not life to years. 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. Likewise for all four gospels, the book of Acts, the rest of the epistles, and the book of Revelation. The word translated “anger” actually refers to a deep-seated rage. We conquered outer space but not inner space. It’s not much of a contest. Stream live events, live play-by-play NFL, NHL, college football, NCAA Strangely, the hush of the eye can feel strange. Therefore let your words be few. We are not left to wonder what it means to forgive those who have hurt us. If we are quick to hear, we will be slow to speak. If someone left this article on your desk, read extra carefully. Listen to Selling More by Talking Less episodes free, on demand. For the most part, hearing the Word meant meeting with other believers and listening to the Word being taught. Your compassion, Lord Jesus. Whenever you’re right, shut up.” It’s so easy to kill a marriage or a friendship with unkind words. Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. 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. Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Why did he choose the words he did? Listening is an important skill that needs to be developed. When you study the 25 character qualities and put them in groups, you discover the single largest group involves a man and his anger. Listen to empathize. When they are happy, that makes them angry. Thanks for your interest! The angrier we get, the faster we speak, and the less we hear. Listen to learn. How to Speak Less. The more we talk, the less sense we make, so what good does it do to talk? We would do well to listen more and speak less — and when we do speak, to only speak what he gives us to say. Most of us are better at the former and not so good at the latter. Talk less, listen more 👂 > 🗣 Easier said then done, I know. That sort of anger brings the smell of death with it. According to Stephen Davey, “If you happen to read the New York Times newspaper for one week, you will be exposed to more information than the average person, living in the 1800‘s, came across in their entire lifetime.” (From the message “Tutored by Truth.”). Please consider supporting our ministry by becoming a monthly partner. Jesus didn’t come to make us nicer people. Grace to us, grace to others. Out in the h TRENDTEESHIRT - … “I took my city for God, but my children no longer follow Jesus.”. He is the father of lies (John 8:44), and wields power over the world (1 John 5:19). In one of his books, British Bible teacher F. B. Meyer talked about how Christ living in us makes all the difference in the moment of temptation. Amen. James wants us to discover the freedom that comes when we respond the right way to the pressures of life. Swift to hear, When I look at my iPhone, I see tons of apps, all of them brimming with information that flows in 24 hours a day. 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). 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. We’re not even close to conquering 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. No one would trade our technology for life 2000 years ago, but I will say this. Bible verses about listening Listening is a very important concept in the Bible. And the post-Eden world has been a whirlwind of words. I talked to them about the character qualities of a godly man in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. When I say that the human heart is unruly, I’m not talking about yours. Social media encourages quick feedback. Talk Less, Listen More offers parents of 2-12 year-olds new, easy-to-implement strategies to manage their children’s 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 children’s difficult behaviour and equip kids with essential impulse-control skills. Seek the rock of refuge. And he intends for us to learn from him (Matthew 11:29). All ethnic groups stand condemned apart from Christ. “Slow to lose his temper” (Phillips). We who have been showered with God’s grace in Christ are to give to other undeserving sinners the same outpouring of grace. 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.”. 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