Be Swift To Hear, Slow To Speak, Slow To Wrath

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

James 1:19

Have you ever had one of those moments where you lose your cool and explode on someone? Of course, an hour or so goes by and you regret the whole thing happened to begin with. You then realize, there was a better way of approaching the situation, but it is too late. The damage has already been done.

Instead of reacting responsibly with Christ in mind, we allowed the moment to overtake us. Instead of thinking it through, we reacted without thinking about the consequences of our actions. When you really think about it, anger is actually a temporary state of insanity, one thankfully we recover from.

With that thought in mind, I want you to re-read verse 19 and notice the order.

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”

  1. Swift to hear
  2. Slow to speak
  3. Slow to wrath

First and foremost, we need to be quick to listen.

  • We need to be quick to understand the situation we are involved in, or are being presented with.

Secondly, we must be slow to speak.

  • While our emotions may grab ahold of us and push us toward reacting in anger. We need to think about the situation we now find ourselves in.
  • Have we considered both sides of the situation, have we considered both sides of the argument?
  • If we react in haste and anger, what will the outcome look like?

Finally, we have to be slow to wrath.

  • Wrath is apart of human nature, even God will unleash His Wrath at some point, but He has had a very long time to think it through, (Revelation 16:1, 19:15). We need to act in the same manner, we need to think it through before we react.

Why?

James 1:20
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

If we react with words filled with wrath and anger, how can we work for God in that moment?

We are supposed to be a reflection of Jesus Christ for the world to see. If we respond in wrath every time we become upset, what kind of example are we setting for our family, friends, and neighbors?

The next time you feel like you are about to lose your temper, I urge you to follow the three-step solution we just uncovered before reacting. This may seem easier said than done, but through prayer and patience, you can control your anger.

Never forget, “with God all things are possible”, (Matthew 19:26).

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