I don’t know about you, but I’d rather talk than listen any day. Not that I’m in love with the sound of my voice, it just comes more naturally to say what I think than to shut up and pay attention to what somebody else has to say. But the Bible doesn’t tell us to be quick to speak; it instructs us to be quick to listen (James 1:19).
Why do you suppose God makes a point of telling us to listen? As I reflected on that question, I recalled a statement I’ve often had to repeat to myself, “Listening is an act of love.” Love for God and others is top priority, according to Jesus (Matthew 22:37-40). Listening calls on another fruit of the Spirit, too—patience. Listening takes time, and with some people it can take what feels like a lot of time. 
It also requires humility to hear someone out without rendering judgment or offering unsolicited advice. When we listen to another person we honor them, instead of trying to impress them with what we know. God also knows we’ll learn more by listening than we will talking.
When my oldest son was 12, I was in a frustrating quest to extract a recessed Lego obstructing a bathtub drain. Nothing I tried could get hold of it. Twice I ignored my son’s, “Hey, Dad!” Finally when he repeated it a third time, with, “I have an idea!” I turned in exasperation and said, “What is it?” His solution of using the vacuum cleaner worked like a charm!
Jesus repeatedly said “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” He spoke in parables so people had to listen and think to understand what he was saying.
Impediments to listening
In one of my college classes I remember the professor asking literary interpretation questions of the students, but barely acknowledging their responses before saying what she thought. When we’re thinking about what we want to say while someone is talking, we’re not truly listening.
Interrupting is another bad habit we may need to overcome. It could be outright rudeness, where we hijack the conversation to talk about ourselves. But if we’re impatient for someone to get to the point, we may interrupt them to “help them along.” We may finish their sentences, trying to hurry them to a conclusion so we can have our turn. Hint: if you must ever look at your watch while in a conversation, only do so while you’re talking!
Sometimes I am doing my best to listen, but then my mind gets off-track thinking about something the other person just said. From that point on I’m no longer paying attention. My patient and gracious wife is used to my asking her to “rewind and repeat” when I’ve stopped listening midstream like that. We have a choice, though, when it comes to internal or external distractions.
God exhorts us to be good listeners. And since listening is an act of love, let’s make the effort to listen to others and to God.
