Are you listening?

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: — James 1:19

We face a lot of challenging things in life. No doubt as you read that, many of them already went through your mind. But one that perhaps did not come to mind is the challenge of listening.

We live in a world that insists that we hear and believe anything that is said. Politicians, Hollywood, product manufacturers, and more all want us to hear what they are telling us. They have the best plan, the best show, the best products, or the best of anything else.

But amid all of that noise are those around us. We are so trained to share an opinion by those around us that we often forget that many times someone just needs us to listen. Rather than hearing how much better we did it or how much more successful we were, they just need an ear to listen and be a friend.

That’s not to say that speaking out for truth is not important. There are perfect opportunities for this. But for the Christian, Scripture teaches us that we should be carefully listening to the things around us. It helps us discern truth from lies and those in need from those who wish to deceive.