“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,”
James 1:19
Somebody once said that God created us with two ears and only one mouth so that we could understand that we should listen at least twice as much as we talk. Sadly, that old saying is lost on too many of us. It is as though we are created with ten tongues and only one ear. We move through life so often talking and too seldom listening.
James echoes that sentiment to some degree when he points out in our verse for today, one thing we should be quick to do: listen; and two things we should be slow to do: slow to speak and slow to become angry. I view today’s verse kind of like a see-saw with the phrase ‘take note of this’ as the pivot point or fulcrum. On one side of that pivot point is the audience he is addressing. Just like the lesson from yesterday we find this is not addressed to “Dear Unbeliever” instead it is addressed to you and I as he says “My dear brothers and sisters…” On the other side of that pivot point is the command to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Now why should he have to tell believers to take note of those commands? Well unless you are a monk living in a monastery, you have probably been at the receiving end of someone who was quick to speak and quick to anger or maybe you yourself have done so. You were slow to listen and quick to speak, turning the admonition on its’ head. I think the truth is we have all been victimized and we have all been guilty.
So what to do?
Surrender your all to God and that includes your ears and your tongues. Ask God to help you to be that one who is, in fact, slow to speak and quick to listen. Others will take note. Even better, when you do open your mouth, trust God to fill it with His words and not your own. I would encourage you to meditate on this verse:
“The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.”
Proverbs 17:27
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