JAMES 1:19

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

TO PONDER

Are you a good listener? I'm not sure if it is the world changing around us or if it's just me getting older, but it seems to me that it has become increasingly difficult with each successive child in our family, to teach them how to listen properly. It's almost as if I have to develop a colourful and engaging powerpoint display with pictures and diagrams every time I want to talk with them about something, if I expect to hold their attention for long.

We see it in social discussion and issues debates in the media and online, we seem less prepared to listen to each other than ever before. If we lose the art of listening then we are going to very quickly find ourselves a long way down a very difficult path.

Because as we refuse to listen to those whose ways and thoughts are different from ours we also begin to tune out God who calls us to serve others, not ourselves; who asks us to forgive rather than to seek revenge.

Following Jesus is not easy, his ways are consistently different to what comes naturally to us, the only way to follow him is to quick to listen to his voice and not to argue about what he says.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, sometimes even your own people argue about what you are saying to us. Help me, and your church throughout the world, to learn to listen to to you with truely open ears and hearts that we might hear what you are saying to us rather than what we might wish you were saying to us. Amen