Learn to Listen

"The sayings of King Lemuel--an inspired utterance his mother taught him. Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers! Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. It is not for kings, Lemuel--it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish! Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more."

- When I was a child, I would do things just because my mother told me to. I did not need to know why she wanted me to do something--I just listened and obeyed because she was my mother who loved and cared for me. Listening is an important skill to develop in life, but we need to be careful about which voices we choose to listen to. We hear so many words every day and so much advice from so many different people that it can sometimes be confusing. It is hard to know who to trust. But it is always wise to keep an open ear toward your mother--she has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with you.

Learn to Speak

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."

- Once we have learned to listen well, we must also learn to speak well. Knowing the right time to speak and the right time to listen is important. Too often, people choose to remain silent out of fear. But we do not need to be afraid, for God will give us the words to say when the right opportunity presents itself for us to speak up. Many in the world today are not able to speak for themselves, but we can be a voice for people who are voiceless. We can be God's mouthpiece by speaking truth and justice and defending the rights of the lost and the least of our society. Our God is a God of justice, and He has sent us to communicate His truth and love to a world in need.