Main Thought for the Week [5.10.21]

James 1:19-20: My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

I have said for years that the Bible is full of passages that I could spend the rest of my life working on them- living them out in my everyday life. For example: “Be quick to listen and slow to speak.” What did you say?! I know, right! And, as the week progresses we will also look at how foolishness, anger and regret are tied to speaking and listening- stay tuned! Listed below are situations when it is time to speak and situations when it is time to listen:  

The words silent and listen are spelled with the same letters, just in a different order.

A Time To Speak:

1. When you’ve been spoken to.
2. When you enter someone’s personal space.
3. When you have something to say that’s worth hearing.
4. When you need to express what someone needs to hear.
5. When you need to comfort, encourage, or praise someone.
6. When you need to welcome someone or make them feel comfortable, wanted, or needed.
7. When you know the truth and you know it needs to spoken.
8. When the Holy Spirit prompts you.
9. When injustice has been done and the victim or recipient needs a voice that they don’t have.
10. When you are trying to build a relationship.
11. When you speak out of a heart of love with the right motive.
12. When something needs to be said.

A Time To Be Silent or Listen:

1. When nothing else needs to be said.
2. When someone needs you to listen, more than they need to hear what you have to say.
3. When someone else is talking.
4. When you really don’t have anything (positive) to say.
5. When you’re angry.
6. When your motive is wrong.
7. When you don’t know all the facts.
8. When the Holy Spirit is talking to you.
9. When you’ve not earned the right to speak into the situation or the person’s life.
10. When you need to think about what you want to say first.
11. When you need to give yourself or the person you are in conflict in a minute to get over the hurt or rejection that is being felt.
12. When God tells you to not say anything.

• It is difficult to hear what someone else is saying when you are talking!
• You can be silent and not listen and you can talk without thinking!
• You can’t take back what you have said- after it has been spoken!