ECCLESIASTES 5:2; EXODUS 16:1-8
It is said that “God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason.” One of the most important skills in life is the capacity to be able to listen. We should pay attention to one another, counsellors advise. Our spiritual leaders advise us to pay attention to God. But very few people advise people to “listen to themselves.” I do not mean to imply that we have an innate sense of what to say or how to say it. I am also not advocating that we listen to ourselves instead of God and other people. I am saying that in order to understand how others could perceive our words, we must first listen to ourselves.
As Moses lead them from Egypt, the Israelites could have benefited by following this instruction. After being miraculously delivered, they began to complain just a few days later (Exodus 16:2). Despite having a genuine need for food, they did not properly communicate that need (verse 3).
Even when what we say is true, when we speak out of fear, anger, misunderstanding, or pride, others who are listening will hear more than just what we say. They detect feeling. We run the risk of miscommunication because they are unsure if the emotion stems from love and care or contempt and disrespect. Before speaking aloud, if we take the time to listen to ourselves, we can examine our motives and make changes before our careless words cause harm to others or grieve our God.
Words spoken rashly do more harm than good.
🙏🏼Lord, help us to think and listen to ourselves even before we speak.
