Listen for understanding

Listen for understanding

S - Prov 18:13 (NASB)

    "He who gives an answer before he hears,
         It is folly and shame to him. "

O - Good listening for understanding is a critical skill for leaders, Christians, and in general for anyone desiring to respond with wisdom and deepen relationship with other people.   The subtle message in this proverb lies in the verb hears.   I believe the Lord wants us to do more than just give everyone their fair chance to speak their mind, but to really try and listen and hear for understanding what it is they are saying.   A wise man does this, so much so that a wise man's instinct or action is never to give an answer first without asking clarifying question.  So many times when someone is speaking we are itching to respond with a profound answer or solution to their problem.   Notice though that Solomon, whom himself was sought for counsel all the time, realizes is ends up in folly or shame when we just simply answer without really understanding.

A - The application for me is to resist my tendency to want to speak answers into a conversation without completely understanding the full question that is to be answered.  I am to use the tool "action learning" or asking introspective questions to gain further understanding, and then I may if necessary speak truth, experience, and wisdom into a conversation.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  I pray Lord that you would continue to teach, mentor, and guide me to be a Godly listener, and speaker of wisdom and not folly into people's life.  I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.