WEEKLY WORD

Continuing Thought for the WEEK – [5.12.21]

James 1:19-20: 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.

CONTINUING THOUGHT for the Week:

There is something I had never noticed in this  passage In James 1 until the other day and that is this- there are 3 different admonishments and it seems like these admonishments may be connected. Here they are: 1. be quick to listen. 2. be slow to speak. 3. be slow to become angry. It appears to me that James may be giving us a hint to dealing with conflict.  It seems to me that when you are not angry you are more apt to listen than you are to speak, but when you are angry you are usually more apt to speak. And, if you would take time to listen you would have less of an opportunity to become angry. Listening deals with reasoning and rationalizing. Talking deals with communicating your thoughts and/or feelings. When you’re talking you don’t have time to process what is being heard. When you are angry it causes you too speed up what you would normally take the time to process, so slow down and process your thoughts before you have regrettable actions of recourse. Be quick to listen. Be slow to speak. And be slow to become angry. When you’re angry you will say things that you will regret. Slow down and listen. Give your self time to process before you speak something that you may regret and that you can’t take back.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to be quick to listen and to be slow to speak. May I glorify you by what I say and through what I listen to. In Jesus name, Amen.   

MAIN THOUGHT for the Week:

• The words silent and listen are spelled with the same letters, just in a different order.
• It is difficult to hear what someone else is saying when you are talking!
• You can be silent and not listen and you can talk without thinking!
• You can’t take back what you have said- after it has been spoken!