Listen

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” James 1:19

 

I knew I had a problem… I couldn’t even wait for him to “think about” the answer.  I wanted the answer now! But he was not producing the answer quick enough so I just texted back “From your lack of responds, I am taking it that you don’t care or love me anymore.” I push send, turned off the phone and hide the phone in a drawer! My thoughts were let him think about that for a while!

I was nowhere near the actions that the verse speaks, and it caused a huge rift in that relationship that only God can fix now! I look back on my actions, and I want to scream no!!! The answer is so worth the wait!!! But I was not quick to hear, slow to speak, or slow to anger. I was more like quick to speak, shut off the ears and let my anger burn! I wish I could say that God got my attention on this problem at that moment, but it was more like several more months before I formed the prayer “God help me listen better!”

I wish I could tell you that God swooped down, and fixed the hearing problem! Instead God did answer my prayer, but in a different way than I thought! Instead of zapping me to close my mouth, and turn on my ears He brought me several girlfriends. Now these girlfriends are people who soak in what is being said, and you guessed it! have to process it before giving an answer.  If I wanted advice from these godly woman I would have to… yes… wait!

 
If we take a closer look at the bible we can see there were many people who chose to “listen” to Jesus speak, but walk away the same person. Instead of really listening to the words of Jesus that transformed many lives… James was one of them. James got to sit at Jesus’ feet and soak in everything that was spoken. He was quick to listen and slow to speak. He took what he learn from God, and used it to help us to be transformed. For a moment think of what James would have been like if he had not learn to be quick to listen. Think about the bible, what would it be like today if the men did not take the time to listen to God’s voice while writing it.

James had seen the Creator of the Universe, sit patiently and listen to the ailments of the sick, both spiritually and physically. He watch Jesus call the little children to Him and sit and listen to their endless chatter. Yes,  James had learned and witness the great I AM quick to listen. If James learn this then so can we! We start by shutting down our minds and stop coming up with answers to questions that have not been spoken before listening to the person speak. We make eye contact and chose to listen to the person that is in front of us! To let them know that they are important to us and that we chose to listen to their life. When we are quick to listen, the small whisper of God is loud enough for us to hear Him. We can be able to move in His will and His timing.

Which brings me back to my girlfriends that slowly showed me how to be quick to listen. I learn that if I chose to listen to them, and slowly let my mind process what they were talking about and searching for a godly answer, I got something more out of the friendship. My relationship with these women drew me closer  and  help me become a processer. God helped me to become a quick listener and a very slow speaker. When God gives me the chance to explore this with the person in the begin of the story they will encounter a different Nikki. A one that God has transformed into a listener then a speaker.

 

Written by Nikki McGann