Listen-Think-Speak

How many times has something you’ve said gotten you into trouble? If you are like me, too many times. I am better than I used to be, but still struggle from time to time with, “putting my foot in my mouth”.

Part of the reason for this, for most all of us, is being too anxious to “say our piece” without listening… “really listening” to what the other person is saying. This can cause a divide between individuals who would normally have gotten along nicely.

Another reason is not “putting our brain in gear” to “think before we speak”. Being thoughtful with our words can calm a situation before it becomes a problem we now have to deal with. How much easier our lives would be if we could just learn this one thing. Think before you speak. (Or on Facebook…think before you type).

When you think about how easily a fire can start with the tiniest of sparks, it helps you see how this sort of thing can happen in your life. That spark in a forest, can set off a fire that takes firefighters days upon days to put out. The damage left from being careless, can be monumental.

So, it is with our words. One tiny thoughtless and careless word, spoken in a single moment in time, can set off a flame of conflict that could take years to mend. The damage left could have been avoided had we just listened more and put some loving thought into what and how we communicated.

When it comes down to it, it is learning to “not be selfish” by believing what you have to say is more important than anything else. It’s not.

James 3:5-6 CEV

[5] Our tongues are small too, and yet they brag about big things. It takes only a spark to start a forest fire! [6] The tongue is like a spark. It is an evil power that dirties the rest of the body and sets a person's entire life on fire with flames that come from hell itself.

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