Speaking our minds is often a sure-fire way to get into trouble.
We’ve all done it, spoken before we considered how it would sound. We’ve dealt with the backlash, too, when we’ve angered those around us.
When it happens with a boss or a spouse, it’s especially devastating. They can mete out consequences that make us want to retract everything we said.
James 1:19 gives us an easy solution.
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”
The three things James tells us are interlinked. Let’s break them down.
“Quick to hear.”
This is the simple one. We must practice good listening skills. Let someone finish what they’re saying. Acknowledge what they’ve said so they know they’ve been heard.
“Slow to speak.”
This is more difficult. Sometimes we need to bite our tongues. We don’t need to say everything that comes to us. If it’s really important, it will wait until tomorrow. It will. Trust me.
“Slow to anger.”
Now we’re to the tough one. There are things we need to set aside. See how we feel tomorrow. Does it still make us angry? Many times, when the moment passes, so does the emotion. It’s important not to stir up things that will become unimportant if we let them go.
Following Christ is sometimes in what we don’t do. Let’s show his love through our kindness toward others.
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