“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20 (NKJV)

The art of listening is one that we all need to acquire. There is no doubt that there have been more times than none that we have been guilty of speaking too soon or not gathering vital information from simply listening before we formulated our response. During the earthly ministry of Jesus, He often used the expression, “He that hath ears to hear let him ear.” He made this statement seven times while on earth and then another eight times from heaven as found in the book of Revelation. When we listen to what Jesus says we have a much greater opportunity to glean fruitful and beneficial revelation regarding what He has said. If we listen more, it will ultimately circumvent our tongue and our mouth which is the delivery system that distributes the things that are in our heart. “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34b (NKJV)

Listening is the control mechanism that assists us in bridling the poisonous and venomous nature of our tongue. There are times that some things are best left “unsaid” because what we “say” does not provide benefit or blessing to those whom we are in communication with. It takes wisdom and discretion to determine when, where, and how we should respond to any inquiry or issue. Because the tongue is so unruly, we really have to be aware of the damage that we can cause if we speak to soon. “And the tongue is a fire, a world or iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” James 3:6 (NKJV) Now this does not mean that the tongue does not speak good, but it is known to be notoriously inconsistent and has an unusual propensity to speak evil. However, if we listen more and talk less we can minimize the negative impact of our uncontrollable speech.

The context in which James pens this particular passage actually deals with the qualities needed by the believer when he or she is found in a trial or testing of their faith. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, know that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2 (NKJV) So within the big picture of our devotional passage not only is listening essential in our day to day communication but it also becomes an imperative when we are called to navigate through situations and circumstances that have us in a place that our faith and what we believe is placed in the forefront of our response. If we view the passage from this perspective perhaps James is suggesting to us that we should be listening for the voice of God rather than offering up our own plans, platitudes, and proposals concerning our present dilemma. If we are talking, it may make it difficult to hear the voice of God and the ultimate resolution of our circumstance.

Furthermore, talking too much can breed wrath, malice and destruction. As a result our speech does not reflect the “righteousness of God.” All too often, unguarded speech gives expression to an inner turmoil in our own hearts. The most simplistic explanation of our text is to simply say that we would do well to simply think twice before we speak. We must learn to place a value and priority on what we say. Let’s get to a point where we speak a word “in season” that it will be timely, beneficial, and edifying to those who hear. “The Lord has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.” Isaiah 50:4 (NKJV)