Be Quick to Listen

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. James 1:19-22

 Meditate. Quick to listen.

 

How often are we in a conversation with someone and we speak what is on our mind without even beginning to listen to the other person? The agenda is in my head…and this conversation is either about me or something about which I am passionate. In a recent “aha” moment, I realized that life is NOT about “me.” I’ve known that for years—but this was like a new revelation. It’s not about ME.

Did you know that an “Aha moment” is even in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary? Yes—it is! It is…a moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension. That was just how I felt when I once again admitted that life is not about me. Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. That is God’s directive through James. Getting mad about something…or someone…does not produce righteousness in our lives. Righteousness is just what God wants for us. A righteous person lives by God’s laws and is free from sin and guilt. That’s a good thing. James goes on to say that we need to get rid of filth and evil in our lives. The way to do that is to repent and choose to live the right way as God planned. He concludes this passage with wise advice—don’t just listen. But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. Put God’s word into action. Do it! Without actually following God’s way, you are only fooling yourself. You’ll be looking foolish by selfishly carrying on with your own plan—however good it may seem to you.

Listen up. Do what God says to do. Love God. Love Others. See the scripture referred to as the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4, which is traditionally recited by the Jewish people two or three times a day to focus on the Lord. Listen. Hear. Obey. That is what Shema means in Hebrew.

 

Prayer ~ "Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.” Deuteronomy 6:4-6

 

Verse of Salvation ~ As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced." Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!" Romans 10:11-15

 

© 2025 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

 

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

 

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins in the Bible: New Testament Stories