Listening Before Answering

"It is arrogant to answer before you hear. Humility does not presume that it knows precisely what a person is asking until the questioner has finished asking the question. How many times have I jumped to a wrong conclusion by starting to formulate my answer before I heard the whole question! Often it is the last word in the question that turns the whole thing around and makes you realize that the questioner is not asking what you thought he was."

In his contribution to the current issue of Tabletalk, John Piper uses Proverbs 18:13 as a jumping-off point for a reflection on the importance of listening before answering. "Not answering a question before you hear it all honors and respects the person asking the question. It treats the person as though his words really matter. It is belittling to another to presume to be able to finish his question before he does."

Keep Reading at Listening Before Answering.