The Power of Twelve Short Words

We speak a lot of words. Experts tell us that the average man uses between 8000 and 10,000 words a day. The average woman uses 20,000-plus words per day. Most words we speak are rather meaningless; they don't carry life-changing truths or convey great thoughts or really make a hill of beans difference in the end.

That's why when special words come along they have such power. 

I do a lot of counseling, both personal and family. I do marriage counseling. I do parental counseling. As a pastor, people come to me for advice, for God's perspective on their problems, for help, for just about anything, really. I've seen a lot of advice and given a lot of advice (some good, some bad), but I always come back to these twelve words that I discovered several years ago.

I have found that those who are able to consistently do what these twelve words say, day in and day out, live wonderful lives. They are good fathers. They are good mothers. They are good employees. They are good bosses. They are good husbands. They are good wives. They are good at just about everything entailing human interaction. They have a remarkable ability to relate, to connect, to have good marriages, happy homes, and effective careers. All by following twelve simple words.

What, pray tell, ARE these twelve words that will almost certainly guarantee success?

Here they are. Straight from the Bible. The book of James, actually. James 1:19:

                  "Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry."

Rather underwhelming, isn't it?

Yet, so true.

Think about it. What would your marriage be like (if you are married) if you and your spouse, every day, practiced these twelve words? What if you were quick to listen? What if instead of jumping to conclusions or speaking out of turn, you instead were quick to listen and slow to speak? What would your marriage look like if you, instead of becoming instantly angry, were slow to anger?

I'll tell you what your marriage would look like. It would be wonderful.

What would your interactions with your children be if you practiced these twelve words as a parent? What if you were quick to listen to your children instead of being the one who was always talking? What words have you spoken out of haste or out of anger that have caused major damage in your relationship with your children? What words would you do anything in the world if you could just take them back?

Twelve words. Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

I counsel couples that I marry to do this. I counsel couples that come to me with marriage problems to do this. I counsel parents to do this with their children, and children to do this with their parents. It really seems fairly obvious, doesn't it? 

Yet, how many of us practice it? How many of us not only neglect this advice but actively do the opposite? How many of us would describe ourselves as people who are slow to listen, quick to speak and quick to become angry?

I would say that is far more common. Look at the results of it in our homes, our schools, our workplaces, our marriages, our friendships.

Today, write these twelve powerful words down and vow to practice them every day. Today, look for a situation where you can be quick to listen. Look for a chance to be slow to speak. Look for an opportunity to be slow to anger. You'll be amazed at how different your interactions with people will be. You'll be amazed at the peace and calm that settles in your home. You'll be amazed at the results you see in life.

The power of twelve simple words. Use them to change your life today.