Don’t Be an Answering Machine

(Proverbs 18:13 KJV)  He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

This is one of those “ouch” verses.  I cringe at the thought of trying to list all the times I have answered questions that were not asked or failed to listen when others are sharing.  I am not talking about the times I have tuned out people who have used up their listening allowance with meaningless details about the life of the person next to them in line at the market.  I am talking about our, my, tendency to not listen.  It is based on a self-centered lack of patience.  It is a matter of either not caring about the speaker or caring too much for the listener.  We are talking about practical expression of love.

My thinking started with human conversation.  Does it not also apply to the things of God?  If we rush off to “answer” (1697) the questions of life withing hearing the wisdom of God, we are in trouble.   Remember that one way in which we listen to God is by spending time in His word so that He can communicate to us.  If we are not hearing what God has to say we can’t find answers for ourselves.  We also can’t help others find answers that they are looking for.  We cannot be a voice of salt and light in our communities.

So?  Again I say, read, study, meditate (on the word not a mantra), pray and live as God would have us.