Have you ever spouted off something without thinking and it got you into trouble? We instantly realize in two seconds the trouble we are in, and we wish we could take the words back. It may be the hurt look on another’s face, it may be the heavy silence in the room, or it may be our conscience giving us a swift kick—these all speak in a voice that reminds us we should have kept quiet!
In James 1:19-21 the writer makes a connection between our listening skills and our speaking skills. He starts off with the emphatic phrase…”Understand this…”
James begins by saying, “Here is something crucial I want you to understand in your Christian life. You need to listen more often than you speak.”
Notice that James connects quick speaking with anger. We are to be “slow to speak, and slow to anger.” Why is this so? The reason is much more important that keeping me out of trouble. He connects it with God. Thoughtless speaking and angry words do not bring about or work out the “righteousness of God.”
This righteousness can be understood in one of two ways (maybe both at the same time!): 1) My listening and speaking should represent the very nature and character of God in my life; and/or 2) The very will of God can be carried out by how I listen and control my tongue.
You see, we need to understand that James connects something as practical as my listening and speaking to the very will and nature of God in the world. He is not just concerned with helping us stay out of trouble. He is not just interested in helping us develop relationships skills. He is not just concerned with giving us tips for better living.
James wants us to know that thoughtless speech and a quick temper do not come from God nor represent the will of God. In this paragraph, he closes with a conclusion about how we are to live in such a way as to save our souls. It is the implanted word that we receive in humility that transforms our speech and lives. This kind of attitude and power from the implanted word enables us to put away everything that is filthy in our lives, along with rampant or abundant wickedness.
Practically, this means that every day and with every spoken word I must pass the “God-test.”
Am I listening with the compassion of the heart of God? Are the words I am about to speak represent God and His will in the world? Do I realize that unchecked words and anger do not bring about God’s righteousness in the world? What keeps me from being a compassionate and caring listener? Is there anything filthy in my speech or wicked in my thinking and behavior that needs to go?
“Understand this…” May God give us the grace to really understand this!
In Christian love, Curtis
Good thought for the day! As I sit in my Instructor's seat with a student driver to my left, I'm watching how people use their car instead of words. Amazing that I remember the courteous driver because of their rarity on our roads.
ReplyDelete