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We have so much information at our fingertips. Most people carry around a minicomputer as their lifeline. If we were honest, I bet most of us would not last long without our smartphones! It is second nature for us to pick it up to find out whatever is on our minds from Google or Apple. We live in an information age that continuously floods our minds and thoughts. So, how do we shut our minds off and turn our ears to listen in the silence? What does it mean to listen in relationship with God and one another?
Today's passage hits on what to do first in a relationship with God and one another. That task is to listen! The author of James says it three times in three ways that our task is to listen. These three statements that reiterate the listening factor are: “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” The author of this passage in writing “slow to speak” is trying to convey that listening is being present and finding understanding! We are to listen first! Also, the phrase “slow to become angry” is keeping our minds clear and seeking understanding for common ground.
All three of these phrases lean into the fact that listening is an essential piece in relationships with one another and with the Lord. If we do not listen, we are not in tune with the needs and desires of the person we are being present. Also, if we are not listening to the Word and the Lord, we will not be in step with Christ. This passage does not explicitly talk about Christ, but it is about how one should listen and do in Christ.
Therefore, listening is the start of a relationship with one another and with God. Yet listening is the link from hearing to action. Listening is understanding what to do, say, or be in light of who we are in Christ. If we do not listen first, we will not understand what the person is saying or what God desires for us to do. Listening is the key to living out Christ’s love here on earth! This is why the author states, “Do what it says!” We cannot just hear the Word of the Lord, but we need to live out the Word of the Lord! If we are not living out what we comprehend, how are we living in accordance with the Word of the Lord? To put it simply, we do not!
We live in an age of distraction. How do we learn to listen? One first step is to silence our phones to spend time with one another and with God! The second step is to seek understanding and not jump to conclusions; it will give us peace and clarity in the midst of listening and discerning. If we do those two things, we will be able to have peace of mind to hear and understand what to say or do!
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