Quick to listen

So I have a confession to make. I am quick to listen. I know this sounds like boasting, but it's not. I am quick to listen to the wrong voice. My thoughts, my feelings; not my Savior or those He has compassion for. I hate this about my self. Usually I have formed my opinion about something or someone, before I have sought the Lord or asked any questions. This gets me in trouble all the time, but I am just recently allowing the Lord to retrain me in this area. It hurts so many relationships when I do this. I realize I can not fully love people, if I am judging their motives before I listen to their heart or thoughts. How can we as Christians that love and study the Word of God, slap truth on someone's actions if we haven't taken the time to listen to what motivated them. If, for example, a beautiful young woman is walking around in a very low cut shirt, capturing the attention of every young man she walks by; I cannot assume that she has no concern for her brothers in Christ. She may truely not know that this doesn't please the Lord. She may have just looked in the mirror and thought that she looked great in that outfit. The Bible tells us to be "quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger"(jas 1:19). Anyone has been around children, knows that if they are talking, they are definitely not listening. The Lord is showing me that even as a parent, in order to train my children in Godliness, I need to take the time to listen to what they were thinking. Only then can I retrain them into Godly motivation. Are we as believers supposed to hold each other accountable to right actions, or right hearts? I pray today that I would close my mouth first; then listen, then pray, and finally speak. Do you find that you are trying to think of what to say to someone, when you should be praying or listening? Luke writes in 21:12-19 that He will give the words to say in the face of persecution. So we have nothing to worry about. Wow! Father, help me to live out this truth. AMEN