Communication - Quick to Listen

I have been writing the last few weeks about communication. I started by writing: Communication is an interesting and confusing dynamic. It sure doesn’t seem like communication should be so perplexing or complicated. The truth is though – communication can be most difficult.

Communication is often misunderstood because people see it as a one-way activity. People tend to believe that communication has happened when something has been said. Communication is not a one-way activity though –it is a two way activity. It includes speaking BUT it also includes listening. Of the two sides, listening may be the more important side.

It has been said that since God gave us two ears and one mouth it should be obvious that we should listen twice as much as we talk. This isn’t always the case though. Listening is not something that comes naturally or that everyone does well. Listening well is so rare that when someone is a good listener, people will comment about the skill.

The Bible has over 500 verses that deal with listening. The verses are scattered throughout the Old and New Testaments.

One of the most direct verses in the Scripture was written by Jesus’ half-brother, James. He wrote:
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. (James 1:19 NLT)

Be “quick to listen and slow to speak.” If we as human beings could practice just those two things, communication world-wide and in every societal structure would change. Work would change, home life would change, neighborhood associations, political groups, church groups and even entire nations would change.

I tell teams that I coach: You play what you practice. If we all practice listening, the game of life would be better because we would play the game of life as listeners.