Why do we have 1 mouth, but 2 ears?

Some time ago a scribe wrote the words "God has given us one mouth and two ears; so we should listen twice as much as we speak. James 1:19-20 tells us "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

I wonder how we can help others when we are motoring along, mouth in high gear "sharing" our own wisdom? How often do we think we lead when we are busy opening our mouth? Proverbs 18:21 says "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Abraham Lincoln once said "It is better to keep one's mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and resolve all doubt."

Listening to what others express, gives you perspective. Listening to what others feel, gives you insight. Listening to others concepts, gives you oversight. Listing to the hopes of others, gives you compassion. Listening leads us to follow. To follow the expressed and unexpressed needs of others to understanding them. Listening gives us the ability to receive the full meaning of what is said, not just hear the words spoken. Fulfilling the needs of those who surround you, gives you leadership.

God wants us to be leaders. How can we lead if we cannot follow?

Philippians 2:1-8Message 1-4 If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. 5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

NKJV 1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. <†> <†> <†> <†> <†> <†> <†> <†> <†> <†> <†> <†>

Ephesians 5:25-29 - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church... (NIV) <†> <†> "That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong." ~ William J. H. Boetcker <†> <†> "Surrender as much of yourself as you understand to as much of God as you understand." <†> <†>

Heavenly Father, We pray today for the mercy and love You give us. Open our hearts and minds to You. Give us the grace to accept your mercy. As we live each day, give us the personal courage to listen to the concerns of others and help them find the solutions to which they are entitled as Your children and our brothers and sisters. Amen.

by Ron Sires, member of the Billy/Delworth First Baptist Church Tuesday Night Home Group