This week we will focus on another gift that anyone will appreciate, the gift of listening!

Not only did God gives an obvious hint about the importance of listening vs. talking by creating us with two ears and one mouth but God gave us clear instructions in the Bible about how we should communicate:

“…be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” [James 1:19 KJV]

While we all can recognize that healthy communication is an essential ingredient of a healthy relationship, our actions seem to reveal that we have things backwards.

We are often quick tempered, attempt to talk over or louder than others, especially when we are angry, and when others are talking, we are not listening because we are too busy thinking about what we want to say next.

We simply overlook the fact that the effective communication is a respectful, attentive, two-way interaction.

Remember, parents must model the behavior they want to see in their children. If you want your kids to listen to you, then you must take time to listen to your kids.

So, try to give the gift of listening. You may even see your relationships transform overnight.

Note: Listening works with family and friends of all ages and is one of the best gift exchanges because people who engage in two-way communication naturally pay attention to one another.

For the new year, make and keep a new years’ resolution to give the gift that keeps on giving by following God’s instructions to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.