"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." James 1:19
Whenever men come into the house of God, it should be with an intense desire to hear the Word of God. Thomas Manton made this wise observation, "If we were as swift to hear as we are ready to speak there would be less wrath and more profit in our meetings;" Usually, I find that when men do not profit from the ministry of the Word it is because they practice exactly the opposite of what James here commands. They are slow to hear, swift to speak, and swift to anger. There are men who seem to come to church for no other reason than to find some point of disagreement. They can hardly wait for the minister to finish speaking so that they can point out his errors. Such men are a continual source of strife and division. They do not worship, and they try to keep others from worshipping. Let us guard against this tendency of proud,: self-willed flesh. May God make us swift to hear and slow to speak. Let me give you some practical advice on Hearing The Word of God.
1. Prepare Yourself To Hear The Word. (Eccles. 5:1-2)
Before you go to the place of worship, spend some time in prayer. Ask God to speak to you. Ask God to enable the minister to speak with clarity and power. Go seeking a message from heaven.
2. Submit Yourself To The Word of God.
When you are sitting in the assembly, listen personally, for yourself. Submit your ideas, your traditions, and your doctrines to he Scriptures. Be willing to forsake, anything that is not plainly taught in the Bible. And be willing to obey everything that is required by the gospel.
3. Meditate Upon The Word.
Do not swiftly speak against what you hear. Do not become angered by what you hear. Rather, meditate upon it. Ask God to apply the Word to your heart, and give you understanding. Seek the glory of Christ in your response to his Word.
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