Quick to Listen, Slow to Anger

Pastor Carol Grace ♦ June 30, 2024 ♦ Leave a comment

(NIV) 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, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. 26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

As a child, many of us were told we were given two ears to listen, and one mouth to speak. The wisdom of Proverbs tells us (NIV) 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harshk word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,but their mouth of the fool gushes folly. 3 The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. 4 The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

How descriptive are these verses? A wise tongue dispenses knowledge, but a foolish tongue pours out foolishness. I recently had surgery, and while I was being prepped, the nurse asked if there was a responsible party with me to drive me home. I replied, “my husband is with me—does that count?” Dead silence. I could not see her face, but she paused at least 30 seconds and then very curtly replied, “Well, I would hope so.” Thinking to myself, I realized this is not a woman who understands the value of using humor to defuse a tense situation. But then I also thought, a foolish tongue pours out foolishness.

But even worse than a foolish tongue is an angry tongue. I always am reminded of Luke 6:45, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” A person who continually speaks anger is literally drawing from the well of his or her heart. Bitter waters produce bitter words.

It matters little whether such a person is right or wrong. James says human anger does not produce the righteousness of God. Just like one cannot plant apple seeds and reap watermelons, we cannot have a constant stream of negativity and anger proceeding from our mouths and expect the righteousness of God to be the result. Likewise, if our hearts are full of anger, it will be difficult to produce anything other than anger.

May we, regardless of our circumstance, speak joy, speak love, and speak encouragement. May we ask our Father to flood our hearts with His supernatural peace and heal us of the need to respond in anger, giving us instead our Father’s heart.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.