Hear It Before Answering Prov.18:13 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

It is the case of many these days to answer a matter before they ever fully hear or understand the question. People often don’t listen to the question.  They often use the question to say whatever they want to say.  Before answering any question, hear it before answering.

Talk radio is bad about this – callers are asked a question by the host and they aren’t even close on their answer – why – usually because they didn’t HEAR the question – the only answer they could truthfully give is “I don’t know” and they feel ignorant giving that answer so they run off at the mouth and look like total fools.

In court, witnesses who are anxious to win say what they want to say rather than answer the question they are asked – they can’t hear the question because they are concentration on what they want to say – schooling a potential witness, the lawyer said listen to the whole question before answering – they get you focused on the first part of the question and you neglect to hear the stinger at the end of the question – then they remind you and the jury of your incriminating answer at a later time in the trial.

When people are soliciting your business it is vital that you hear the whole proposal before agreeing – you may overlook something that reveals you are about to be swindled.

In board meetings, there is the sense of being in the hot seat – you might be prone to answer a certain way to cover yourself instead of simply answering Yes or No to the question – also there is a desire to answer what you safely know rather than venture a guess at the answer to the question asked

So, what should you do?

If it is a matter of answering a question

• Ask for them to repeat the question
• Ask for them to clarify the question
• If you don’t know the answer, admit it; then go find out the answer so that you can HEAR the matter and then you’ll know the answer

If it is a matter of rendering judgment

• Make sure to hear all sides of the dispute
• Listen carefully to everything that is being said – a lot of times the mind is made up already and the judge is simply searching for “evidence” to justify the opinion he has already formed – like in a religious argument – often both sides have already made up their minds when they answer and they are not interested in doing anything but picking the other guy apart – each is answering before hearing the matter – Mormons at Hyatt’s house, we listened carefully to them for 45 minutes then we asked them to listen to us – they left – there answer was rejection before they ever heard the matter
• Don’t answer against it just because you’ve never heard it before – Pharisees – a lot of Christians will never learn anymore doctrine because they have a habit of interpreting everything according to what they have already heard – they refuse to hear the matter

If it is a business deal

• Ask all the questions, know all the facts and read the fine print before saying YES

If it is a matter of testimony

• Make sure you have all of the facts – if you can only speculate don’t answer
• Check the source of your information – internet emails are a horribly unreliable source – if you get second opinions from Doctors do at least the same before answering
• If you don’t know, you don’t know – I don’t know, I haven’t heard

Regarding salvation – before you answer God, why don’t you hear the gospel and then answer – and in response to the question, “Are you saved?”  Answer “Yes” or “No” rather than, “I’m a [whatever your religion is] – If you answer with your religion, you obviously haven’t heard the question.