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“Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

James 1:19

A Tendency Of Our Times?

The aim of this article is my personal attempt to help address the human tendency we have of being quick to speak and slow to listen.  Maybe, like me, you can relate with having this tendency yourself.  Perhaps you have noticed it in wider culture.  You can usually spot it wherever people are speaking many words at one another, but there is little to no hearing of one another.  Sound familiar?

In the Bible, James 1 summarizes this speech problem as a moral error that leads us away from the love of God and our neighbor.  In that passage of Scripture, James teaches us that listening first to God, then to one another, is absolutely crucial if we would love God and our neighbor in truth.  (Consider: it does not say to stop speaking, but to speak second to hearing, and to be slow to speak).  The Proverbs warn us, “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Proverbs 29:20)

A Current List Of What I Am Listening To Before Speaking:

So, in the spirit of trying to tackle this tendency in my own life, here is a current list of things I am listening to (or reading) for better addressing my speaking. My hope is that by listening first, when I open my mouth to speak, it will both bless God and my neighbor.  I plan to periodically update this list month-by-month. Perhaps, you may find it helpful to listen along with me, too!

  1. Luke 19:41-42, Luke 1:76-79
  2. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. By Eric Metaxas, Thomas Nelson, (2010) 1 
  3. Trump vs Pope Leo, April 20, 2026, Albert Mohler, The Briefing, (2026) 2
  4. More than Three Million People have Lost Federal Food Aid, Dan Forsch, The Wall Street Journal, (May 2, 2026) 3
  5.  By George I was Up There, Bob Greene, The Wall Street Journal (April 11, 2026).  4
 
 

God bless.

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