Listen Up, People

Happy early Father's Day to all the dads! And this week in James we have some very timely steps of wisdom to apply to our lives as Christians (and Christian dads). As believers, sometimes when we talk too much, and listen too little, we communicate to others that we think our ideas are much more important than theirs. James wisely advises us to reverse this process. Someone once suggested we put a mental stopwatch on our conversations and keep track of how much we talk and how much we listen. Yes, as fathers, what we share is important, but this gentle stopwatch approach can help us avoid confrontations that can bruise hearts and egos that often erupt in anger. Most of us have remembered at least once in our lifetime Proverbs 21:23: "Those who guard their mouths and tongues / keep themselves from calamity."