Listen More, Speak Less
“Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.” Proverbs 4:7-8
Wisdom and knowledge are not the same. Wisdom is the ability to use one’s knowledge in a way that promotes one’s growth, maturity, and integrity. There are plenty of folks who have “book smarts”, but lack the wisdom to put their learning to valuable use. Folks have made and lost fortunes because they didn’t act wisely in managing their wealth. I have heard stories, as you probably have, about people who won vast sums of money in lotteries, yet ended up just as poor as they were before because they were not wise with their spending habits and/or lack of saving habits. Many people say, though, that if they won millions of dollars, they would know how to manage it, but how many of them are able to manage what they have now?
We know that Solomon, King David’s son, is known as the wisest human who ever lived. God appeared to him in a dream and told him he could ask for anything he wanted, and God would give it to him. Imagine what most people would ask for today. Some of their wishes would be lots of money, a big house, luxury automobiles, trips to exotic locations, etc., all material items which can never satisfy the true longing of the heart for love and acceptance. I am sure there would be those who are suffering from disease who would desire to be healed or be able to move away from toxic people who make their lives miserable, but how many would ask for wisdom, or a heart to love all people, or a boldness to tell others about Jesus and the gospel? Solomon didn’t ask for wealth. He asked for an understanding heart to enable him to lead God’s people. God was pleased with his answer, gave him an enormous capacity for wisdom and riches and honor to boot (I Kings 3:5-13).
What is it that people like to do besides eat? People like to talk. Some folks can talk non-stop and just barely let others get a word in edge-wise. A polite talker knows to pause every few minutes and let someone else add to the conversation. Actually, I would call that a wise talker. If one does all the talking, then they have little opportunity to learn something. Conversation is an art, but sometimes it is a one-sided art. I don’t know if I would call talking an art by itself since pretty much everyone knows how to do that, but listening–that’s a cultivated ability. To me, the worst kind of listener is the one who, even before you finish telling of your traumatic, exciting, or unusual experience, the listener has to top your story with a bigger, better one of his/her own. Sometimes people do not want your advice about their situation; they just want you to listen. Another way to tell if you are not a good listener is if, instead of really listening, you are thinking about what you are going to say. No wonder we are all such imperfect people.
I remembered an old rhyme, author unknown, that gives us good advice to bolster the wisdom that God gives us.
A wise old owl sat in an oak/The more he heard, the less he spoke/The less he spoke, the more he heard/Why aren’t we all like that wise old bird?
There is a good reason that God gave us two ears and one mouth.