A Lesson in controlling self

"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 

These two verse are probably read over and over by many people but, do they reach the mark; or do they just go over your head? Think about your conversations with people, do you always listen to them or, do you keep chipping in with your own point of view? Sometimes people say things that we don't wish to hear; whether they are right or wrong, we refuse to take it on board and if the subject is pushed, it can end up an argument.

When we are having a conversation with someone, we need be swift to hear, or quick to listen. This means that we need to concentrate and sharpen up our attending skills by listening properly.  Now this takes self control, honour and respect. We may not agree with what the person is saying but, we show them honour and respect by allowing them to get things off their chest, otherwise we can have an argument on our hands. Along with this, self-control is required to keep quiet while they are speaking to us. If we are not in control of our mouth, pretty soon we are going to jump in and say the wrong thing, or the right thing but at the wrong time. This again is where honour and respect play a big part. If we don't take control of our emotions, wrath will set in and angry words may be spoken and our witness goes out of the window. People say, 'count to ten' or 'bite your tongue', however, it is ok to say this but, when we're in the thick of it, this all gets forgotten. 

But it has to be possible because God's word tells us that nothing is impossible (Matthew 9:26). However, it takes training and commitment on our part. If you don't put something in, you can't take it out. We have to practice and train our minds on God's Word. We all want to get our own point of view over; but we may be wrong and we need debates to tackle this. You may not like what someone else says but, if they are right, you need to hear and receive it, or it will go wrong and you'll have a reputation of being difficult to speak with. 

It's the same with God, we talk to Him and He listens until we are finished. However, He doesn't always agree with what we say and this is where friction can rear its ugly head. We can't always expect to be right, especially with God. He won't change His mind no matter how long we argue with Him. 

What are your reactions like? Can you receive criticism or does your back go up and you get the war drums out? Being swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath is all about reactions. It is something that many people have to address and this may include you as well. Don't be ashamed, none of us are perfect, we all have defects but nothing is impossible for God to change. Study these two verses. Play the video back on areas where you fall down on. Perhaps you blew it today. Take a look at the video, analyse where you went wrong and what you could have done better. Then keep doing this, and pretty soon, your coping skills on this subject will improve. However, it won't happen overnight, so get training.

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