James 1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

We are in a world full of speakers. Everyone is talking and we hardly see action. Listening is a vital attitude to have if we want to succeed in anything. Note that hearing and listening are two different things. Hearing is simply perceiving sound by the ears but listening requires concentration to process the meaning of whatever you’re told.

In the scripture above, there are three things enlisted: listen, speak, and anger. We are told to be quick to do one and slow to the other two. Your ability to be a great listener determines how well you speak. If you speak without listening effectively, the probability of making mistakes is huge. When you listen effectively, you don’t just make hasty conclusions but think carefully about different sides and angles involved and then make an informed choice on what to do next. Speaking, listening and anger have a correlation. What you say has the potential to hurt someone and cause them to be angry and how you listen also determines your response.

Proverbs 18:13 says, To answer before listening— that is folly and shame. You could hear what someone says but that is not reason enough to speak. Speak after you have listened. Listening is giving an interpretation of what someone says. When you finally understand what the person says, it is easier to act on it.  Proverbs 18:2 says, Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Don’t be in a hurry to talk. Listen, that is, have a clearer understanding before you speak. The differentiating factor between hearing and listening is the concept of understanding. 

Listening determines leadership. Listeners lead because they know something others don’t know. And they got to know that by paying attention to what someone said. When the Bible says ‘incline thy ear‘, ‘be attentive to my words,’ this is what it meant- Listen not just hear. What you know is actually determined by what you listen to and how you listen. In fact, you are defined by what or who you listen to.

Who you are today is an indication of the focus of your listening.

This is because what you listen to, you act on. And your actions determine the outcome of your life. 

The Bible talks about how even when a fool keeps quiet is considered to be intelligent. Silence cannot be misquoted. The only way people can misquote you is when you make a statement. Proverbs 10:19 also says, In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. So, one way to fall into a trap is by what you say and so careful thought must go into what you intend to say.

People who listen admit that they do not know it all. This reminds me of the saying, “Empty barrels make the most noise”. Inasmuch as it’s good to talk, listening gives you wisdom so that when you speak, people learn something and are impacted. You could talk a lot and not make sense. Someone should be able to learn something when you speak. The Bible says in the book of Proverbs, a lot of times, that listen to instruction and you’ll prosper. Other times the Bible also says, you gain wisdom and direction or guidance by listening. In Philippians 4:9, Paul told them to put into practice what they heard and received from him. James 1:22 also says that don’t just hear God’s word but do as it says. This means that listening actually prompts action.

You know whether someone has listened by what they do with the word spoken to them. A lot of people can’t do what they hear from God because they are not listening. In Jeremiah 33:3, God says we should call unto him and he will answer us, so in calling God, there is an answer time. People just pray and go about their business without listening to what God has to say. Great mysteries and revelations can’t be made known to those who haven’t listened because listening unravels secrets. It is only when you wait for what God has to say after you call on Him that He can show you mysteries. If you want to advance, listen to advice. If you want to be intelligent, listen to instructions. To lead, be a listener.

• Hearing from God