Your willingness to listen is your gift to others.

The most important part of communication is listening. We all know that, yet we are so quick to tell others what we think, and only then do we listen (mainly to hear what they think of what we just said).

Like it does so often, the Bible offers a difference way. Listen first, then talk. There are at least two benefits to this pattern. To start with, the only way to learn something is to listen (you will never learn something from your own mouth, unless you want to learn how careless you are with your words). The main advantage of hearing others speak first is that you may realize what you were about to say is completely wrong or meaningless.

The other benefit is that you are less likely to get upset if you listen before you speak. Our own words will incite us much quicker than the words of others.

Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James 1:19