19 "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."
James 1:19-20 NKJV
God has planted within each of us a new nature. We have all we need to live for spiritual growth but, we must receive it, humbly placing ourselves under the authority of God.
Here, James writes that we should:
* be quick to listen and hear properly, especially to God's thoughts and words
* be slow to speak, not only wanting your own point of view, others have one too
* be slow to anger - becoming angry will not achieve God's righteous plan for your life
Out of control anger should never be part of our make up. Psalm 37:8 says, 'Cease from anger and forsake wrath.' Rt Kendall aptly says, 'Will my flesh rule the moment or my spirit?' And Ecclesiastes 7:9 'Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.' Unrighteous anger is a no go area.
Do you listen to others and do you take notice of it or shrug it off? More importantly, do you listen to God, or just rush out hoping that it's God's will? This is a most dangerous area if you don't listen to Him and try to do things on your own. When you listen, as Mark Twain once commented, do you use the third ear? This means examining closely what is really being said; what does it mean and are you only hearing part of what should be said.
How are you with the words that come out of your mouth? Do you listen without comment, until you have digested what is being said, or do you keep interrupting and blasting the speaker with both barrels? Do you let rip with your mouth not really caring what you say because you have lost control?
When your point of view is not accepted, do you throw a wobbly, again completely out of control? Remember, first and foremost, we are Christians. We belong to Jesus. He has made us the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21). Acting in a foolhardy and irresponsible manner does not paint a good picture of our faith. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, 'Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil'. Anger is sinful when it attacks people and seeks revenge rather than addressing the problem. Righteous anger seeks to uphold Kingdom business, it ensures things are in place and ship-shape.
Therefore, sharpen your listening skills, take control of what comes out of your mouth, and allow God to offer you anger management, if you need it. Just think for a moment, if you're not careful, you may lose control, speak words that you are ashamed of later and then meet someone who was a witness to your outburst. How embarrassing and shameful that would be.
Make a habit of having a stop, look and listen attitude.
Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard
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