19 My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20 for man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.
James begins this verse with a reminder that you are loved as he addresses Christians. He then uses verbiage to have us stop and pay attention to what he is going to say next: Everyone MUST be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
We are typically much better at talking than we are at listening most of the time. We have a few people in our lives that are truly good listeners. I think most of us are like our young grandsons, they listen to just enough of our instructions to hopefully keep them out of trouble and allow them to go back to what they were doing quickly. Isn’t that our typical pattern of communication? We listen a little and then offer our opinions and when our opinions or thoughts are not accepted, we get angry because our ego has been bruised. During your conversations today evaluate if you are listening more than you are talking and adjust when you are talking more.
Verse 20 in the Life Application Study Bible, NIV, 1988
“for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”
I really like this translation’s verbiage of “righteous life”. Righteous is defined as acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin. Our anger does not produce a life that is free from guilt or sin. Romans 2:8 says it best:
8 but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness;
We have a LOT of togetherness right now – what better time to practice our listening and slow to anger skills? If you have any practical ways to share how you are working on this, please leave me a comment. I would love to hear suggestions!
The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jas 1:19–20). (Ro 2:8). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
