Active Listening

“Know this my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).

When we think of being quick, we think of doing something that takes action. Here we are told to “be quick” to do something that takes no action, at least outwardly. Hearing takes no movement. In fact, you might think that hearing is completely passive. This just is not so. A silent person may be passive. That does not mean that he is listening! Being “quick to hear” means having an energetic interest, an eagerness that mentally reaches out, stretching for information. It is an openness to another person. This does not mean that what we hear will be good, true information. Even so, we are still told to be quick to hear. Being quick to hear has to do with our own sanctification, not the correctness of the information.

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Written 1977.

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