BE SLOW TO SPEAK

James 1:19-20 NIV

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

This is one instruction I haven't seemed to master. Personally, I think that popular thinking in christian circles haven't made things any easier.

The early christians seemed to practice the art of silence. I think we live in a talkative generation. We simply talk too much!

Communication experts will tell you that "Listening is the most important part of communication"

Wisdom is doing things God's way. Godly men must learn the lost art of silence. Our words must become precious. When we give more thought to our words they become more valuable. When we listen we understand more and so can give the more appropriate response at all times.

There is an interesting relationship between our inability to listen, our readiness to speak and anger.

It appears to me that when we quick to listen, we are not eager to speak. And it is my view, again from my understanding of scriptures that this practice might very well be a fantastic anger management practice. Our anger will dissipate when we intentionally loose the right to respond or react but learn to listen and gain better insight and understanding.

GOD'S RIGTHEOUSNESS

When we are quick to speak we provide a predictable channel for our anger to come through. The point here is give no room for anger because human anger wouldn't work out the righteousness of God.

The instruction here is clear...."your anger does not produce God's righteousness (Gos's way of doing things)"

Human anger wouldn't produce God's righteousness. Human anger simply isn't God's way and it is usually expressed in our readiness to say something.

We must be eager to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. It is not possible to speak out of human anger and produce the righteousness of God. PERIOD!