Someone once mentioned that the reason we have one mouth and two ears is because listening is more important than speaking. I’m not sure who coined that, but there’s definitely some truth to it. In a world filled with the static of people constantly talking, many times about themselves, how can we become better listeners? How can we really hear what someone has to say?
Below are five ways to become a better listener.
Be an eager listener. In James 1:19, we are told to be quick to listen and slow to speak.
Make sure you have time to listen. If we are unable to listen to someone at the moment they need us to do so, respectfully ask them if they could give us a minute and then we will be “all ears”.
Genuinely invest yourself in the conversation. To be an active listener who genuinely cares about what the other person is saying, we have to be invested in what the other person is saying. There’s a new term called “phubbing” where a person snubs the other person and instead focuses solely on their phone. Not exactly the definition of listening. Neither is choosing the computer, TV, or newspaper when someone is attempting to carry on a conversation with you.
Give full attention to the person speaking. To expound on the suggestion above, have you ever chatted with someone who doesn’t maintain any eye contact? To be a more effective listener, eye contact is crucial.
Don’t interrupt. We’ve all met that person who has so much to say that they have little patience in waiting to say it. To be a better listener, we must avoid the temptation of interrupting.
While listening is not always easy for a variety of reasons, doing so is critical for healthy relationships. It also gives us the opportunity to pray for others if they have needs, helps us to get to know someone better, and is an excellent way to practice putting others first (Philippians 2:3).
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Penny Zeller 
thank you for sharing this. it is always a great reminder. I remember my mom sharing this with us five kids growing up. and she modeled it herself. i was able to teach this to our two kiddos
when I was growing up, there was no such thing as cell phones. our phones were on the kitchen wall. so talking and listening in person were the thing to do. or letters if a distance from each other. today it drives me crazy how “invested” so many people are into their cell phones. I see moms/grandmas walking with their children/grandchildren and they are on their cell phones. Arrrrggghhhh that child is only going to be young for a very short time. what are we putting into their heads and hearts. sorry will get off my soap box
oh my goodness, yes, eye contact while listening or talking is so important. I learned this at an early age. I have talked to some people about this. I taught this to our children. Honestly I get really flustered when I am either listening or talking and the other person will not keep eye contact. Sigh
quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
Yes, me too, Lori. It seems, unfortunately, that lack of eye contact is more prevalent these days. 😦
not interrupting is so very important. while listening to someone, when we interrupt all the time, the other person does not feel like we are really listening. I have had this happen to me many times and I feel like “why am I saying anything” and then I stop and think to my self, “is there something that the other person needs to get aired out?” but when it happens continually, well I have learned to keep things short but not rude.