Sometime ago, I had an issue with a man that was no issue at all. It was something that required proper explanation and effective  listening on his own part. This man talked like a parrot throughout our conversation, he did not give room for dialogue. Even his wife opposed him and she began to tell me and others that her husband talks more than he listens.

I did not know they had some issues as couples but the man exposed himself to the world. The wife told me how her husband has been running into trouble from one place to the other due to his uncontollable mouth even to the point where a judge locked him up when she dragged him to human right. At that point, I knew the man had serious problem with his unguarded mouth.

Proverbs 18:13 says “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him”.

Talking too much is the enemy of effective listening. There are marriages in trouble today because someone is not listening well. The mouth is running like a tap of water but the ears are not listening. The bible says, “Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs29:20).

Relationships breakdown because someone is not listening. God gave us one mouth and two ears because he want us to listen more than we talk. Talkatives will always run into relational problems because they don't know how to listen. Those who don't listen well cannot understand well. That lack of understanding will lead to misunderstanding.

James in the New Testament says: “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak" (James. 1:19).

From today, cultivate a good listening habit. Instead of hijacking conversations, listen and ask questions to get a proper perspective on the issue at hand before speaking.