There was a time when our culture recognized the virtue in quiet attention, becoming informed, and giving thought to action. We have arrived in a time when many hold it more virtuous to speak and to be heard than to be right. Gentlemen, many of us are to blame, as we did not stop such evil philosophies from entering our homes, nor did we venture out and meet the enemy when he was still far off. So here we are. What is the answer?
I'm so glad you asked. The answer has always been the same, and He always will be. Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 teaches a lesson that is offensive to the proud, but is vitally important. The Lord admonishes us to "draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools." God makes an important distinction here. When we neglect to listen to Him, in essence to make gods of ourselves, then our "worship" (such as it is) is an offense to Him. God even goes on in verse 1 to say that those who offer the sacrifice of fools "do not know they are doing evil." They do not know they are doing evil because they are not listening. (Notice the cycle.)
To safeguard ourselves against falling into such a self-centered mindset, we must always remember that "God is in heaven and [we] are on the earth." Now the Lord does not remind us of our position to hurt our feelings. He loves us and wants to hear from us (see Psalm 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:7). However, it is for our good that He reminds us to come near to listen rather than to speak, so we should "let [our] words be few." After all, verse 3 teaches us that the voice of a fool comes through many words.
"For in many dreams and in many words there is vanity. Rather, fear God."-Ecclesiastes 5:7