You ever notice how some people just can’t stop talking? Even when you’re on the phone with someone else, or you’ve asked them to wait, they just keep talking. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? It’s one of those little things that feels small at first, but it slowly grates at your spirit. Sometimes it’s subtle, someone keeps interjecting with a comment every time you start a sentence. Sometimes it’s bold, like they just jump in, like their words are more important than anyone else’s. Scripture actually has a lot to say about this, more than most people realize, because God cares about how we speak to each other.
From the very beginning, God shows that He listens first. He hears Israel crying in Egypt before He acts (Exodus 2:24). He doesn’t rush. He doesn’t cut them off. He hears them fully, and then He moves. That tells us something important: listening isn’t just polite. It’s powerful. It’s holy. It’s what God does, and it’s what He calls us to do. Listening is active, not passive. It’s a discipline, a way to honor the other person, and a way to honor God.
The Hebrew word shema, which means hear, listen, obey, is central to this. It’s not just “pay attention.” It’s more like: “Hold back your words. Let the other person’s voice fully finish. Then receive it. Then let it change you before you respond.” When someone refuses to stop talking, they’re skipping that step. They’re putting their own voice above the other person’s, and even above God’s example.
Proverbs hits this point in practical ways. Proverbs 18:13 tells us that answering before listening brings folly and shame. That’s a fancy way of saying, “Stop interrupting! You’re making a fool of yourself and creating problems you don’t even see yet.” And Proverbs 17:28 says even a fool is considered wise when he stays quiet. Staying quiet isn’t weakness. Sometimes it’s strength. Sometimes it’s the smartest move you can make.
David understood this too. In Psalm 141:3, he asks God to “set a guard over my mouth.” Words can get us into trouble fast. One slip, one interruption, one comment at the wrong moment, it can spiral into arguments, hurt feelings, or worse. David knew that keeping our mouths in check is part of living a wise and godly life. (See also Douse Your Mouth!)
Moses shows it as well. When Aaron and Miriam complained against him, Moses didn’t argue back. He stayed silent and let God handle it (Numbers 12). Sometimes silence is more powerful than speaking. Sometimes saying less has more effect than saying more.
James in the New Testament is painfully honest about this. James 1:19 tells us to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. The order matters. Hear first. Speak second. And if your words aren’t controlled, they can spread trouble like fire James 3:5. Talking over someone, refusing to stop, insisting on having the floor, Scripture calls that pride. It fractures relationships, interrupts peace, and shows a lack of self-control.
Jesus shows us the perfect example. He asks questions He already knows the answers to. He listens fully. Even when falsely accused, He stays mostly silent. Isaiah 53:7 describes Him as a lamb silent before its shearers. That silence wasn’t weakness. It was strength, order, and submission to God’s timing.
Paul reminds us that God is not the author of confusion 1 Corinthians 14:33. Chaos in a conversation, people talking over each other, dominating space, is exactly the opposite of what God wants. Love is about yielding space, giving others room, listening even when you have something to say (1 Corinthians 13:5). That’s how we show love in real life.
It’s easy to see why God cares about this so much. Speech shapes our relationships. It shapes our homes. It shapes our families. Every interruption, every refusal to stop, chips away at peace. And peace is not just a warm feeling. In Scripture, peace, shlama in Aramaic, is wholeness, order, and life flowing the way God intended. Cutting people off, talking over them, insisting on dominating the conversation, every one of those fractures shlama.
And yes, God sees why some people talk too much, nervousness, habit, fear of being forgotten, but He still calls us higher. The fruit of the Spirit includes self-control Galatians 5:23. That includes controlling your tongue. Stopping when asked. Letting someone else finish their say. That is obedience. That is humility. That is love in action.
So here’s the heart of it: listening first, speaking second, yielding space, and staying quiet when asked, that’s not just good manners. It’s a way of reflecting God’s heart. It’s a way of showing love. It’s a spiritual discipline disguised as common sense.
Next time someone refuses to stop talking, or you catch yourself doing it, remember: silence can be strength. Listening is holy. Letting another speak is obedience. God notices. He always notices.
Sometimes, the most spiritual thing you can do is close your mouth and let someone else finish. And if you do that, you’re showing the kind of wisdom that lasts longer than words.
images done by chatgpt at my direction