Listen First, Speak Second

Have you ever been so convinced that you're right, that your view of the world is the absolute truth, that you've blundered into a situation with your mouth wide open, espousing your opinions, your "truth" as you see it, without stopping to listen to others first? Sure, you have. Me too. It never ends well, does it?! Back in 1520, King Christian II of Denmark summoned Swedish nobles to a so-called "peace banquet" in Stockholm after claiming victory in their war. Now, his advisors warned him to tread carefully but he didn't listen. Instead, he gave a fiery speech accusing the nobles of treason before having over 80 of them executed in what became known as the "Stockholm Bloodbath". He thought it would cement his rule. It backfired. Sweden revolted, threw off Danish rule, and Christian lost his throne. If only he'd listened first, instead of condemning publicly, he'd likely have kept his crown—and Sweden. Proverbs 18:2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. (ESV) That about sums it up, doesn't it? That Danish king was foolish in how he handled a delicate situation. And, come on, how often have we played the fool by espousing 'the world according to moi', instead of listening first. We're so certain of our own opinions, we so want to tell the rest of them how things are, that we completely misplay the situation, falling flat on our face. When we only wait for our turn to speak, we miss wisdom. Listening is the way of the wise; talking too much is the path of the fool. That's, in effect, God's blueprint for communication: listen first. It's the opposite of our natural instinct—but it's the path to peace and understanding. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.