Hey, Carpool Crew! It's day nine of Proverbs for Your School Life, and today we're talking about that moment in an argument when the other person is still talking... but you stopped listening about ten seconds ago. Because you're too busy planning what you're going to say next. I'm Pastor Justin, and before we jump in, let me give a big shout-out to Mikey listening in from Wake Forest, North Carolina and Phillip out in Meridian, Mississippi. Mikey, Phillip, I hear you love dinosaurs. So glad you're riding with us today. Here's the one thing I want you to remember for the ride: **Listen first. Talk second.** Listen to Proverbs 18:13: "The one who gives an answer before he listens, this is foolishness and disgrace for him." Those are pretty strong words. But answering before you listen is like shouting out an answer before your teacher finishes the question. You might have a great answer. It's just an answer to the wrong question. **You can't understand someone you aren't listening to.** Solomon knew how important this was. As king, people came to him with problems and disagreements. He had to hear what was actually happening before deciding what to do. And Jesus was incredible at this too. People came to Him with questions, problems, and arguments. And Jesus didn't just wait for His turn to talk. He paid attention. Sometimes He even asked questions before He answered. That's a pretty good example for us. Because here's the problem: **You can't hear the end of somebody's sentence while you're busy building your own.** Picture this. It's recess, and there's a fight brewing over a kickball call. Safe! Out! Safe! OUT! Now both sides are talking at the same time, everybody's getting louder, and nobody has heard one complete sentence yet. So you do something different. You stop. You let the other kid finish. All the way to the end. Maybe you even say: **"Okay, tell me the whole thing."** And something interesting happens. The argument starts to shrink. Maybe you realize you misunderstood what they were saying. Maybe they misunderstood you. Or maybe you still completely disagree. Listening doesn't mean you have to agree. **It means you care enough to understand before you answer.** So here's your Proverbs challenge today: In your next disagreement, let the other person completely finish before you say one word. No interrupting. No eye rolling. And no building your amazing comeback while they're halfway through their sentence. And yes, grown-ups do this too. I've planned my whole comeback while somebody was still talking. Don't tell my kids. Listening first doesn't mean you're losing the argument. It might help you figure out what the argument is actually about. So let's go back to the one thing I want you to remember for the ride: **Listen first. Talk second.** Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, *Goodnight Psalms* is still free for everybody this week. Tonight we're in Psalm 16:9, talking about how we can rest because we're safe with God. If bedtime tends to be a battle at your house, that's ninety seconds well spent. Go put it on tonight. Hey, before you go, answer this question together: **Who's one person you could do a better job listening to today?** I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus.
