The Plumbline

You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. (James 1:19 NLT) "Seek first to understand, then be understood." (Stephen Covey) Okay, who among us is quick to speak, slow to listen? Raise your hand - come on, go ahead, admit it. We can all be this way from time to time, some of us more intent on being heard than we are on hearing. As Covey indicated, we must seek first to understand - until we do, all our speaking will be in vain. They will just be words that hit the air and dissipate. The believer isn't immune to communication faux pas. We get it wrong as much as we get it right on occasion. The more we learn about how Jesus listened to people, hearing their heart, observing their actions, seeing their trust - the more he connected with them. Trust is built when we seek to understand the other person rather than imposing our thoughts and ideals upon them. The 'quick to listen' part of this instruction requires more discipline than we might...

The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed. (Proverbs 10:8-9 NLT) How do you receive God's instruction in your life? Instruction comes in various forms, from various ways, but it is all meant for a purpose - to 'help' us. If we get a box of 'put it together yourself' furniture, it comes with packages of connectors, various pieces, packing material, and even some labels. The most valuable thing in that box is often the least used - the instruction sheet! The maker put those instructions inside the box for our reference when assembling the object, but they are little more than excess packing material if we never use them as they were intended. The same is true of God's Word, his wise counselors, and even the things he reveals in nature around us - if we ignore the instructions that are provided, we will produce something, but it may not be Go...