verseoftheday

If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. Proverbs 18:13 ESV Solomon says listen first. But if I answer first, something falls on me. Folly, foolishness, and shame. These are not small things. Makes you wonder if Solomon had made a decision, a judgement, without hearing. Maybe he'd let his own biases get in the way. James said be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry. When I reverse that I not only look do or say foolish things, but some kind of shame is mine too, because I've answered first. Made a judgement first. Sometimes when you're speaking I've stopped listening and thinking about what I want to say. I've made a judgement that what you are saying is less important than me. Ouch. Lord, help me to listen as an act of love, to wait, to hear. Help me not to judge by my biases, but to be in tune, in step with You, to not be so interested in my own answers, but in representing You in some way. Amen. #prover...

Friday! Proverbs! If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. Proverbs 18:13 ESV Solomon says listen. Listen without forming an answer Listen for everything Let the other person speak Give them time Hear their words Wait Will you wait for me to find the words Will you wait for me to find the courage to speak, to say what I fear, what hurts, what happened, what I dream for, hope for. Will you wait for me? To listen, is an act of love. Love one another When my GPS gives directions it speaks the words, but there's no emotion, no connection, I can't hear the heart of Google maps! But I can hear a person. And if our only communication is electronic it's so easy to miss the heart. Hearing requires us to be present. At least sometime. #proverbs #wisdom #somethingtochewon #listen #loveoneanother #bepresent

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak... James 1:19 NIV Part 2 of James' guide to being a great listener. Slow to speak. That might mean not speaking at all. My problem is that while you're talking I'm already forming what I want to say in my head...and sometimes i just can't wait - it seems so important! So it must be important to you too. Just finish, so I can talk. Nah I'll just jump in anhway! James counsels me to slow it down. Slow down my speaking Because that communcates something else. That I care That you are important That your thoughts are important James says this is for everyone so today I'll try... #james #james1 #listen #tolistenequalstolove #loveoneanother #Godsgym

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen... James 1:19 NIV Is this James schmoozing us with "my dear brothers & sisters" (It is Christmas after all) When he says "take note of this" he seems serious. I think he's saying i really appreciate you and this is something important for your life. Don't miss it. Be quick to listen. I'm quick to hear. But to listen? I'm quick with my point of view Quick with my story Quick to judge Quick jump in, to have my say Quick to form my thoughts James is telling me to take note. This is important, because I care about you. Be quick to listen Listen for the heart. Listen for meaning Listen to encourage Listen to build the other person up, to strengthen Listen as an act of love Listen so that you might speak life. James says this is for everyone, so today I'll try... #james #james1 #listen #tolistenequalstolove #loveoneanother

...They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say... "We will give it back," they said. "And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say..." Nehemiah 5:8, 12 NIV The wealthy were overcharging the poor. Their business practice was outside the principles God had laid down for his people. And when Nehe pointed that out, they immediately accepted that and changed what they were doing. They loved God more than their financial gain. This is one of the taboo areas in our faith communities... how we run businesses, how we make money. Are we exploiting anyone? Do we care enough about where our clothes are made? Those shoes? Who stitched them? A child labourer? Do I care if the coffee grower got a fair price? The people cried out and one person heard. One person responded. And change happened. What do I do when I hear the cry of injustice? #nehemiah #listen #lovepeople

When Jesus heard about John, He left there privately in a boat and went to a secluded place... Matthew 14:13 AMP Our world is so full of noise, of pressures, of requests...yet how often do we really switch off? To make space. To; Think Reflect Pray Mourn Meditate Ponder Be grateful Maybe this year we should make some regular time to do what Jesus did... change the environment to be alone. Switch off the phone. Go some place where there'll be no interruptions... Maybe that's why Jesus said in Matt 6:6 to pray in your cupboard... there's no "to-do" list there, no WiFi, no distractions... If Jesus needed solitude from time to time, then we do too :) #solitude #pray #listen #resolution

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. John 3:8 NIV Heard nothing but the wind the last few days! Just like seeing the effect of the wind we see the effect of God's transforming Spirit in people And there's something a bit mysterious about the wind, a bit unpredictable, sometimes a bit wild - does some damage, stirs things up... It can bring heat...or gentle cooling The wind moves seeds around and is part of God's design...it can clear away fog and the pollution created by us... God's Spirit is likened to the wind Are there things in our lives that need moving? Blowing away? Stirred up? Do we need the power of God to blow through? Or maybe today you need the gentle encouragement of God's Spirit reminding you that you're a dearly loved child of God... #wind #listen #dearlyloved

Jonah entered the city, went one days walk and preached, "In forty days Nineveh will be smashed" The people of Nineveh listened, and trusted God... Jonah 3:3-5 MSG Smashed. Love the MSG! The people (toughest, most bloodthirsty group in the world!) listened & trusted God! Jonah didn't know that there had been famines and uprisings in the city and the people were ready to hear God's call Jonah didn't know what else was going on in the background He just did what God asked of him. When God prompts us to act, to reach out, to encourage, to go...we need to follow His call 'cos we don't know what else is going on in other peoples lives, how God is working in the background...we don't know about Jonah's age, education, health or wealth...just that God called...& He calls us... Who is He prompting you and me to reach out to today? Will I dare to ask Him? #lessonsfromJonah #listen #lovepeople