Be Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak, and Slow to Become Angry
James 1:19
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
I wonder if James had some experience in using this bit of information. Maybe he found himself too often spewing things from his mouth before his brain was able to be fully engaged. Did he find himself sitting with others around a table ready to insert his opinion and disagreement? Was this a lesson he learned from observation or necessity… or maybe both? I wonder if he learned this by trial and error. Maybe he had learned through hard conversations that he needed to stop telling people what he thought and start listening more to what people were trying to say.
Speaking can be a really difficult task. You say what only words can contain, but not the full weight of what your heart and soul wish to convey. There is so much more depth to our imaginations and desires than simple utterances of syllables can convey. Sometimes we have to hear what is being said in between the syllables. When someone speaks to you, you are in the wonderful position to be a recipient of another person’s mind. The complexity and intricacy of neurons firing and bringing concepts to life through words- a miracle right here before us. We are privileged to be a part of such a holy event.
Maybe James learned through trial and error how to sit in anticipation in receiving the utterings of another soul- slowing down his own speech so as to quicken his ears.
It is difficult to live in such a fast paced world where we think we know what we want and when we want it. We like our meals fresh and ready and immediate. As the drive thru culture only intensifies with its immediate gratification, it becomes ingrained in our psyche more and more that we view our needs as the most important and all others, all people and their voices, as secondary. And so we say and tell more than we sit and listen. We speak at each other and have difficulty talking with each other.
Then comes the Holy Spirit. The Spirit pokes and corrects. It empowers us to become the kind of people God has always intended us to be. It makes us more like Jesus, and therefore more patient, more at peace in the midst of chaos, ready to serve instead of being served. And yes, the Spirit even empowers us to slow down our jaw muscles as It strengthens our minds and hearts.
Maybe, we can take James’ words of wisdom and apply them, maybe, just once today. When we feel that need to interject, to speak our mind, maybe we can take a moment to be still and listen. Or as a teacher once told me, “you have two ears and one mouth; use them proportionally.”
Father, help me to be more like Jesus. When I want to speak over or argue with someone, may I instead be like Christ in listening to the needs of others, especially when their needs come across as anger, sharp tones, or even rudeness. And in so doing, may I learn how to have fellowship with the Holy Spirit as it directs and guides my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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address: 1815 E Rezanof Dr.
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Email steven@kodiakcbc.org