Shut Your Mouth....

Oh how many times do I think this thought in my head?  I am a talker.  I like to be part of the conversation and I usually always have something very worth wile to contribute (cough, cough).  That is just me.  Oh how I struggle with what James tells us in Chapter 1 verse 19: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. (OK, so I struggle with the anger part with my kids too, but lets just dwell on one issue today.  Just for the sake of my ego.)

I do like to be there for friends and family.  I love to hear about their days, their joys, their struggles.  I want to know what is going on.  But for some reason, I always have something to add or to share of my own, and, sadly, the thought usually comes to me 'mid-their-story'.  So what do I do?  Yep.  I usually interrupt or wait for the first silent moment to interject my two cents. 

I have prayed a lot for God to help me with this.  I want Him to make me a better listener and I have seen changes.  Just in being aware that this is a problem area for me I catch myself in 'interrupt-mode' and keep my tongue wrangled in.  I can't say it makes me a much better listener though because as I sit and nod and smile, I am thinking, "Keep your mouth shut, you don't need to share that now,"  and other things to convince myself that what they are sharing with me is much more important that my little quip or experience wanting to jump out of my mouth.

So, when it comes to James 1:19 I am a work in progress.  I want to be the kind of friend people come to and share their hearts, not the one they know their story will get interrupted by or the one they'll end up listening to instead. 

I guess it comes down to being who God made me to be, an outgoing, chatty girl, but learning when the appropriate time is to shut my mouth and put others before my own personality needs.

How about you?  Are you a good listener or a talker?  Any tips for me?

If you have fallen prey to my running mouth, I apologize for not listening better and I promise to do better in the future.  Please give me another chance.  I am really working on this and seeking help from the Holy Spirit to reign in my tongue. 

We'll get to the anger issue another day.... ;)