Be Still And Know

James 1:19 James was well aware that the normal inclination of human beings is to speak too much and listen too little. It’s worth reflecting for a moment on why this is the case. Listening is really hard work. It’s certainly much more demanding than speaking. When we give our full attention to another person, it requires a great deal of concentration and, if we do it for long, it can be exhausting. But when we listen to someone else, we are showing our care and love for them in a profound way. James certainly wasn’t asking his readers to be mute! It is good and healthy for us to speak, but we would all do well to make sure we are disciplined in the way we speak - and ensure we are constantly improving our listening skills. In recent years, there has been a mushrooming of listening courses. They perhaps don’t teach anything that is brand new to any of us, but they do encourage us to reflect carefully on the process of listening, and can help us become increasingly attentive to others. I’m sure all of