Never before in the history of man has the ability to communicate been as integral a part of society than now. Cell phones have opened up the air ways with endless hours of conversation all over the world. Rarely can you find someone that does not have a cell phone to their ear. Young and old, in the automobile, shopping, at the beach, in restaurants, jogging, at dinner tables the nonstop verbiage flow unabated. Texting is a societal norm almost required for relationships. Facebook, Twitter, Skype, YouTube and a host of methods are employed to keep in contact with updates, news, notes and “hello how are you doing” with unceasing control over our time and relationships.

     Everyone is talking so why are we not a closer people? The lack of communication has always been at the root of relationship problems, lack of knowledge and confusion. Yet with all the talking going on the conversations do not draw us closer but farther apart. Signs are placed in windows and counters telling people to not talk on cell phones while doing business. ‘Reception rage’ happens when we lose our signal or cannot call with our cell phone. All this talking seems to be driving us mad.

     It has been said the reason God gave us two ears and one mouth is so that we can listen more than we talk. James writes, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20). A rabbinical adage says, “Talk little and work much.” Albert Barnes noted on James 1:19, “The ancients have some sayings on this subject which are well worthy of our attention. ‘Men have two ears, and but one tongue, that they should hear more than they speak.’ ‘The ears are always open, ever ready to receive instruction; but the tongue is surrounded with a double row of teeth, to hedge it in, and to keep it within proper bounds.”

     Paul described the process of faith as “hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). This involves time to listen, meditate and contemplate the mind of God. If we talked with God through prayer and supplication as much as we spent time on the cell phone and Facebook postings our lives would be filled with the Lord on every hand. We have become people as described by Paul quoting the prophet Isaiah: “Go to this people and say: ‘Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you will see, and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them’” (Acts 28:26-27).

     Everyone is talking but few are listening. Everyone is glued to their cell phones with every app imaginable to fill their days with technological futility and waste. “This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:15-17). Wisdom from above comes from “all scripture” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). “Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine … Meditate on these things” (See 1 Timothy 4:13-16).

---Kent Heaton