1 00:00:37,970 --> 00:00:41,531 Speaker 1: Hey friends, it's Kelly from Life Audio. We just launched 2 00:00:41,531 --> 00:00:45,171 Speaker 1: something new. It's called The Good Word, our free weekly 3 00:00:45,251 --> 00:00:48,131 Speaker 1: newsletter built for people who want to go a little 4 00:00:48,171 --> 00:00:54,091 Speaker 1: deeper in their faith. Thank devotionals, guided prayers, curated podcast recommendations, 5 00:00:54,131 --> 00:00:57,331 Speaker 1: and a little community all in one place. No ads, 6 00:00:57,731 --> 00:01:00,170 Speaker 1: just good content. This one means a lot to us. 7 00:01:00,451 --> 00:01:03,211 Speaker 1: We built The Good Word based on the audience survey 8 00:01:03,451 --> 00:01:05,811 Speaker 1: so many of you filled out a few months back. 9 00:01:05,971 --> 00:01:08,450 Speaker 1: You told us what you wanted, and we listened. So 10 00:01:08,611 --> 00:01:11,530 Speaker 1: thank you truly for helping us shape this. Head to 11 00:01:11,571 --> 00:01:14,211 Speaker 1: the link in the show notes and join our community today. 12 00:01:14,411 --> 00:01:24,611 Speaker 1: We'd love to have you Life Audio. 13 00:01:26,571 --> 00:01:30,131 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We're glad to have you 14 00:01:30,211 --> 00:01:33,451 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is on how to ford 15 00:01:33,531 --> 00:01:38,291 Speaker 2: strong relationships. We'll return with the devotional after brief message 16 00:01:38,291 --> 00:01:56,171 Speaker 2: from our sponsors. One tip to ford strong relationships, written 17 00:01:56,171 --> 00:02:01,331 Speaker 2: and read by Kelly Blari. Understand this, my beloved brothers 18 00:02:01,411 --> 00:02:05,731 Speaker 2: and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear, be a careful, 19 00:02:05,811 --> 00:02:10,851 Speaker 2: thoughtful listener, slow to speak, a speaker of carefully chosen words, 20 00:02:11,531 --> 00:02:17,050 Speaker 2: and slow to anger, patient, reflective forgiving. James one nineteen, 21 00:02:18,611 --> 00:02:21,131 Speaker 2: I heard the first half of what she said, Mom, 22 00:02:21,651 --> 00:02:26,411 Speaker 2: I really don't want to because but what I didn't 23 00:02:26,451 --> 00:02:30,770 Speaker 2: hear was everything after she spoke the word. Because all 24 00:02:30,810 --> 00:02:35,011 Speaker 2: that her words they were muffled. I entirely missed the 25 00:02:35,091 --> 00:02:39,531 Speaker 2: last part of everything she said. So I just filled 26 00:02:39,531 --> 00:02:42,771 Speaker 2: in the gap with my own conclusion. And my conclusion 27 00:02:42,891 --> 00:02:47,851 Speaker 2: was not positive. The conclusion my mind decided to draw 28 00:02:48,371 --> 00:02:55,371 Speaker 2: was the next logical conclusion. I figured the worst, Mom, 29 00:02:55,531 --> 00:02:57,971 Speaker 2: that's not even what I'm saying. She said, you're not 30 00:02:58,091 --> 00:03:01,771 Speaker 2: even listening. You're getting it all wrong. I didn't even 31 00:03:01,811 --> 00:03:06,771 Speaker 2: say that she was right. I jumped to conclusions ever 32 00:03:06,891 --> 00:03:10,811 Speaker 2: been there? Maybe I'm not alone. Sometimes it's easy to 33 00:03:10,851 --> 00:03:14,411 Speaker 2: fill in the blanks with our own thoughts. It's hard 34 00:03:14,451 --> 00:03:18,251 Speaker 2: to endure gaps, weights, and the unknown. It's easier to 35 00:03:18,291 --> 00:03:21,250 Speaker 2: get to the point, the end of the story, the conclusion, 36 00:03:21,331 --> 00:03:24,971 Speaker 2: and wrap things up with about I'm sure that most 37 00:03:24,971 --> 00:03:26,891 Speaker 2: of us love to get to the point of a song. 38 00:03:27,211 --> 00:03:31,211 Speaker 2: That's our favorite part. The beginning lines hang in waiting 39 00:03:31,331 --> 00:03:33,451 Speaker 2: until we can make it to the chorus that unloads 40 00:03:33,451 --> 00:03:37,371 Speaker 2: the song. We don't like waiting, however, I'm learning waiting 41 00:03:37,451 --> 00:03:42,291 Speaker 2: is with them. James One nineteen says understand this, my 42 00:03:42,411 --> 00:03:45,931 Speaker 2: beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear. 43 00:03:46,491 --> 00:03:50,331 Speaker 2: Be a careful, thoughtful listener, slow to speak, a speaker 44 00:03:50,411 --> 00:03:54,931 Speaker 2: of carefully chosen words, and slow to anger, patient, reflective 45 00:03:55,211 --> 00:04:02,411 Speaker 2: forgiving true understanding is thoughtful listening. Thoughtful listening often requires 46 00:04:02,491 --> 00:04:06,691 Speaker 2: us to listen more deeply to understand more fully. It 47 00:04:06,771 --> 00:04:09,891 Speaker 2: requires us to hear one what is being said on 48 00:04:09,931 --> 00:04:15,411 Speaker 2: face value, Two what a person may need under the 49 00:04:15,491 --> 00:04:20,611 Speaker 2: surface of their words. Three right hearing of what the 50 00:04:20,691 --> 00:04:25,290 Speaker 2: other person is saying. Words have the ability to heal 51 00:04:25,411 --> 00:04:29,051 Speaker 2: or hurt. How many of us can remember of mean 52 00:04:29,091 --> 00:04:33,051 Speaker 2: words spoken over us in middle school? It's funny the 53 00:04:33,130 --> 00:04:35,931 Speaker 2: kind words don't last, but the mean one seem to. 54 00:04:36,931 --> 00:04:40,530 Speaker 2: We remember a word for decades as if it was yesterday. 55 00:04:42,211 --> 00:04:45,291 Speaker 2: God knows this is why his word instructs us to 56 00:04:45,331 --> 00:04:49,051 Speaker 2: be slow to speak. Not everything we think needs to 57 00:04:49,051 --> 00:04:53,571 Speaker 2: be said. In fact, the less we say, the more 58 00:04:53,651 --> 00:04:59,131 Speaker 2: what we do say has impact. The key Rightly discerning 59 00:04:59,130 --> 00:05:03,010 Speaker 2: what God wants said, Rightly understanding what needs to be said, 60 00:05:04,051 --> 00:05:08,611 Speaker 2: rightly noticing the proper time to say it. A wise 61 00:05:08,690 --> 00:05:12,611 Speaker 2: counselor could give the most biblical advice ever, But if 62 00:05:12,651 --> 00:05:15,291 Speaker 2: it is said with the wrong tone, at the wrong time, 63 00:05:15,811 --> 00:05:18,971 Speaker 2: or belabored in the wrong way, it most certainly will 64 00:05:18,971 --> 00:05:22,771 Speaker 2: fall on deaf ears. We can be right about our 65 00:05:22,811 --> 00:05:27,371 Speaker 2: words and absolutely be wrong in delivery. We can speak 66 00:05:27,451 --> 00:05:30,531 Speaker 2: truth and actually hurt someone with it if done from 67 00:05:30,531 --> 00:05:35,130 Speaker 2: a spirit of anger. To build strong relationships is to 68 00:05:35,211 --> 00:05:40,330 Speaker 2: seek to really understand. People know when one wants to 69 00:05:40,371 --> 00:05:43,971 Speaker 2: be right and when they want to understand. There is 70 00:05:44,011 --> 00:05:47,211 Speaker 2: a difference. This is why we are quick to listen, 71 00:05:47,931 --> 00:05:52,811 Speaker 2: because loving is listening. Understanding lets others know we are 72 00:05:52,811 --> 00:05:56,651 Speaker 2: there for them instead of proving a point, and love 73 00:05:56,771 --> 00:06:02,731 Speaker 2: is what we are after. Intersecting faith and life, what 74 00:06:02,731 --> 00:06:05,651 Speaker 2: would it look like for you to truly listen? Do 75 00:06:05,731 --> 00:06:09,211 Speaker 2: you formulate comebacks in your mind before the other person 76 00:06:09,291 --> 00:06:12,131 Speaker 2: is done talking, or do you truly listen to what 77 00:06:12,171 --> 00:06:16,411 Speaker 2: the other person is saying rather than giving advice? Having 78 00:06:16,491 --> 00:06:19,450 Speaker 2: all the answers, what might it look like for you 79 00:06:19,531 --> 00:06:23,851 Speaker 2: to put yourself in their shoes and care. Doing this 80 00:06:24,091 --> 00:06:27,210 Speaker 2: forges strong and trustworthy relationships. 81 00:06:31,491 --> 00:06:34,531 Speaker 3: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what 82 00:06:34,571 --> 00:06:36,531 Speaker 3: you heard today, we want to make sure you know 83 00:06:36,651 --> 00:06:40,611 Speaker 3: about our sister podcast your daily prayer when you follow 84 00:06:40,651 --> 00:06:44,011 Speaker 3: your daily prayer in your favorite podcast app. You'll get 85 00:06:44,011 --> 00:06:47,131 Speaker 3: a brand new prayer and devotional each day, so your 86 00:06:47,171 --> 00:06:50,811 Speaker 3: days begin in conversation with God. If you're looking to 87 00:06:50,851 --> 00:06:53,611 Speaker 3: grow in prayer or start your day with your heart 88 00:06:53,651 --> 00:06:57,771 Speaker 3: focused on the right things, search for your daily prayer 89 00:06:58,051 --> 00:07:00,970 Speaker 3: in your favorite podcast app and be sure to follow 90 00:07:01,011 --> 00:07:03,931 Speaker 3: the show so you get a new prayer delivered straight 91 00:07:03,971 --> 00:07:05,411 Speaker 3: to you each morning.