Verum BibleRelationships•5 minutes
The Courage to Listen
Listening carefully is a generous choice when defensiveness feels easier.
James 1:19–20James places listening before speaking and anger. The order invites us to slow down enough to understand what is actually being said.
Listening does not require agreement or the surrender of healthy boundaries. It does require curiosity about another person’s experience before we decide how to respond.
In one conversation today, ask a question and let the answer finish before you prepare your reply.
Reflect
Where could patient listening change the quality of a conversation?
A prayer for today
“God, quiet my defensiveness and help me hear others with wisdom and care.”