Opening your life to God’s Word on a consistent basis over a long period of time will slowly but surely begin to shape your thoughts, perspective, attitudes, and actions. You will start out just reading God’s Word and it will eventually begin to read you! God’s truth will challenge you and help you to see as God sees! Watch how God’s perspective will begin to influence you in ways you never imagined! Stick with the plan! Open your heart to God and He will transform you from the inside out!
In His Love,
Pastor Jerry
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. James 1: 19-20
James seems to rattle off a series of teachings that don’t necessarily flow as a consistent thought. Remember….this is a letter. The author is simply addressing issues that seem to be problematic to people in the early church (and amazingly applicable to us over 2000 years later!). James offers us three very important words of advice: 1. “Everyone should be quick to listen”-The greatest posture for learning, for caring, and for understanding is through the one who is “quick to listen”. It begins with listening most intently and with great humility for God’s Word for our lives. When we tune out the sounds around us and focus most intently on hearing from God, we have positioned ourselves to live with a kind of love and wisdom that enables us to love and be present to others in a Christ-like way. 2. “Be slow to speak”- Over and over, James cautions his readers concerning the deadly power of the uncontrolled tongue. Instead of giving us five ways to speak the right words, he simply says that it is not that easy! The tongue is a “restless evil….a deadly poison.”You would be better off just to be slower to speak! 3. “Slow to become angry”- While anger can be channeled toward positive issues of justice in the world, it is mostly referred to as a negative emotion in scripture that has the potential to ruin one’s heart and make a wreck of relationships. Anger can also launch words and actions that can be harmful….even destructive….toward others. It basically does not lead to a good place for God to work in your life and mine.
Our passage today oozes with application! What would it mean if we prioritized God’s voice over all others in our day? What would it mean in your family and workplace to be quick to listen? You might just begin to really hear what others have to say and understand how to love and relate to them in a more Christ-like manner instead of being so lost in the world of your own thoughts, feelings, and agendas! If you were slower to speak, maybe some of the dumb and hurtful things that just come tumbling out of your mouth without thought might be a little more managed and filtered by the Holy Spirit! What would it mean for your marriage or relationship with your children if your tendency toward flying off the handle or over reacting was put in slow motion…..an exception instead of the rule in the way you handle people and situations? Many of us today have regrets over the heartache and pain we have caused to those we love because we were “quick to anger”. While we cannot go back and undo the past, we can declare through the power of Christ that tomorrow will be different! Today, listen more, speak less, and do not give anger a foothold in your heart and life!
Heavenly Father, help me to be obedient to these very practical areas of life. Today, I can love You and others in a much more significant and life enhancing way if I will put these words of wisdom into action! Amen.
Beach United Methodist Church
325 7th Avenue North
Jacksonville Beach, Florida, 32250
904.249.2343