James 1:19
reads, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But
everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;” It is
one of many of my favorite verses. Its truth applies on so many levels of our
lives. Most of us would immediately think of how it applies in our
relationships with other people, especially when we consider the number of
times we respond inappropriately to something said by someone else and one or
the other and often both wind up getting angry.
But stop and think about this verse in
terms of our relationship with God. James tells us to be quick to hear, and
slow to speak. In this case something happens, whether it involves others or
not, and our immediate urge is to respond with our emotions and without
carefully considering what we say or do. This is so true in particular with
those issues we’ve been through over and over again. We just react, and often
that reaction is in some way regrettable. If we were to apply James 1:19 here
and STOP before God, and seek His wisdom for the situation and His words and/or
response, just imagine how things might change as a result. This does not have
to be a long STOP. It may only be a split second, but in other cases it might
be much longer. And sometimes, if the situation is pretty intense, it might be
repeated stops. But if we find the stops to be regularly repeated in quick
succession it might give us cause to ask if we really stopped in the first
place to listen to God, or if we only coasted through the stop sign and we
haven’t really listened.
The verse also tells us to be slow to
speak. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord
with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” In being slow to speak
we are to consider how God might have us respond, placing our trust in Him for both
the process and the outcome.
Later on James tells us that our tongues
are a restless evil, something seemingly untamable. This is true apart from the
power of God to control it. When we practice stopping before God and seeking
His response it often results in a calming to the situation, but not necessarily
always on the part of the other person(s). The one thing it does do for us for sure
is to bring us His peace and guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus
(Philippians 4:7).
James 1:19, as well as Proverbs 3:5-6 and
Philippians 4:7 (all favorites) are reminders to me that I need to be aware of
God in all things and rely on Him even for my responses and reactions. When I
do this, whether it is a simple conflict or something severely wrong that may
be happening, I remember that my God is in control and He has me firmly in His
hands. This is very steadying.
Today in
“Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young (4/17)
I am
training you in steadfastness. Too many things interrupt your awareness of Me.
I know that you live in a world of sight and sound, but you must not be a slave
to those stimuli. Awareness of Me can continue in all circumstances, no matter
what happens. This is the steadiness I desire for you.
Don’t let
unexpected events throw you off course. Rather, respond calmly and confidently,
remembering that I am with you. As soon as something grabs your attention, talk
with Me about it. Thus I share your joys and your problems; I help you cope
with whatever is before you. This is how I live in you and work through you.
This is the way of Peace.
He will have
no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Psalm 112:7
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