Scripture Passage
Scripture Focus
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. (James 1:19-20 NLT)
Observation
In drag racing, two cars line up side-by-side at the starting line for a timed launch. Lights on the “Christmas tree” (that’s what it’s called) illuminate sequentially from yellow to green. You can’t cross the starting line until the green light shines. Launch your car too early and you'll “red light”. It’s a foul that disqualifies you from the race.
“Launching too early” disqualifies you from the race. That’s why James gives this Spirit-inspired counsel:
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. (James 1:19-20 NLT)
James 1:19 is just good counsel for anybody—Christ-follower or otherwise. Someone has said, “We’ve got two ears and only one mouth for a reason!” How slow I am to listen—I know! How ready I am to respond—not always positively, encouragingly, or with understanding, but rather, ready to correct, to challenge, to rebuke! And even more so, I think (for me), quick to grow angry! For anybody, this brief snippet of Holy Writ stands as good counsel. “Hold your tongue. Really listen. Seek to understand before responding.”
But for the Christ-follower in particular, there’s an addendum to James’ counsel that makes following this directive even more important. “Human anger,” he says, “does not produce the righteousness God desires” (James 1:20 NLT). It’s not just that you’ll get along better with others, not make such a fool of yourself, not have to go back and rebuild bridges you’ve burned if you’ll hold steady and think before speaking. More than that, God’s divine purposes are thwarted by our “quick to speak, slow to listen, quick to grow angry” responses. The influence God calls me to bear for His sake—in His cause—is lost. The witness I’ve spent years developing is traded in a moment of hasty response. Kingdom advance suffers when my anger replaces God’s patience in my life.
“Lord, I long for your righteousness to reign in me and throughout the earth. Plant this living word in my heart ‘that I might not sin against you’ (Psalm 119:11 NIV).”
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