Love Listens

My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. 
James 1:19 (CSB)

Every month of 2020, we will feature the Love Over All theme and Scripture as we unpack what it means to love God and love others in so many different ways.

March’s theme is Love Listens.

As a kid, did you ever hear the phrase, “There’s a reason you have two ears and only one mouth!”? Or perhaps, as an adult you’ve heard (or said), “Measure twice, cut once?” If you have, consciously or not, the deliverer of that message was speaking the truth of James 1:19 CSB.

For some of us, this is nearly impossible. Quick to listen, slow to speak. Measure twice, cut once. But love listens because love first seeks to understand. At its core, that’s all listening really is: caring enough to try to understand before responding.

This month, may we be committed to the art of listening well. For those who are quick to listen, have patience with the talkers. Measuring twice is hard for some of us, and it takes practice. Thank you for modeling well the heart of Love Listens; we promise, people see you and people see God’s love in you. For the talkers: breathe. Let others speak until they’re finished, jot down what you want to say, then wait to say it. Intentionally let someone else speak first. And as for the slow-to-anger part of these verses in James . . . that’s much easier to do when we are first quick to listen and subsequently slow to speak.

Love listens to understand. Love listens to grow. Love listens to strengthen.

Love Listens.

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