quick to listen

You can probably type quickly. The average person hits around 60-70 words per minute. But did you know that you read about four times faster than you write?

These days, a lot of our conversations happen online where we’re reading and writing all the time. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have found that the ‘art of listening’ might be more important than ever!

James, the brother of Jesus, gives some advice about this. He says that everyone should be:

“Quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” - James 1:19-20

Whoah! It’s like he’s been on Twitter! Actually though, the principle of human nature is an ancient one: we all like to be right, and we’re not great at listening and talking at the same time. And it’s easier than ever to be constantly on transmit rather than receive.

Today, whether online or offline, why not take time to listen fast and speak slowly? Or read deep and type later... Take a breath, let the silence in. Don’t send that email straight away. Don’t hit reply. Listen.

It’s a great way to prevent those angry exchanges we’re sometimes tempted to fall into, and it leads to righteousness in relationships.