Listening

James 1:19-25
“19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.”


Do not merely listen to the word… do want it says. Everyone should be quick to listen…. Anyone who listens to the word ….

Listening is a key skill to learn as a Christ follower. To hear is one thing – to actually listen is something else entirely. I hear all kinds of things right now – the clicking of the keys while I type (slowly I might add) – the sound of the air conditioning keeping me from sweltering in this southern humidity – the sounds of other people in the offices – a car on the road going way too fast – all kinds of activity al over. But I am not really listening to any of it. I had to stop and even think about it. It was just background noise.

I don’t want to relegate God to background noise. To take what He says in His Word and store there with all the other things I read throughout a day. I want to really hear Him – to really listen to Him.

How can I tell that I am really listening? I do what it says. I live it out through the relationships I have with others.

I want to know Him better and better. I want to know Him Word. I want to live for Him. It all starts with listening to Him.