April 9 A Time To Go, A Time To Stop James 1:19-20
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires.”(James 1:19-20)
There are 3 rules for righteousness, based on James 1:19-20: be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. The rules are absolutely universal and every person is included in the commands. When James addresses the rules to “every person,” the language is deliberate. He is making the instruction applicable to each individual. None of us are excused. We are to be QUICK TO HEAR! God expects us to listen, especially as we read His Holy Word! Now, I would like to apply this to preaching, as well! So many Christians or church-goers try to make excuses why they can’t obey God in this matter…We all have excuses… “Family is coming, we are tired, we needed a day of recreation.” You don’t do something quick without putting effort into it! Do you make the effort to hear God’s word? Most of us don’t need hearing aids; we just need aid in hearing. Proverbs 1:5 says, “A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.” Ecclesiastes 3:7 says, “A time to keep silence, and a time to speak,” and Proverbs 8:32-35 says, “Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord,” and Mark 4:23 says, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” The reason Jesus said that, was because He knew…Not Only Do We Have The Ability To Tune Someone Out; We Have A Tendency To Do It. "God still comes, where he can find someone quiet enough to listen, and alone enough, to heed." We must be willing to listen to God with a desire to understand what He is saying. This brings us to the second rule and that is SLOW TO SPEAK! Ecclesiastes 5:2-3 says, “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in Heaven; and you on earth; therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words.” It is interesting that many often feel that they must tell you what they know and how much they know! The Bible reverses this notion and tells us that the more you know, the less you say. My Daddy used to say; “Go ahead and let folks keep talking and they will show you how dumb they really are!” So, be Slow to Speak of what you have to say! The third rule is just as important as the first two; and that it to be SLOW TO ANGER! Proverbs 14:17 says, “A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated.” Just as “slow to speak” doesn’t mean never to speak, so “slow to anger” doesn’t mean that we are never to be angry. Some things we should get angry about. A Righteous Anger! Angry over unrighteousness, injustice, Children being abused, elderly being taken advantage of; these are just a few examples that “Light my fire!” Ephesians 4:26 states clearly, “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath!” Who does God get mad at the most? It is not the unrighteous; but it is the religious, Christian who continues to live in sin! Our anger is often unrighteous and does not honor God and the truth is, most of the time, when we get angry, it is because we didn’t get our own way! When anger comes in, our listening ability flies out the window. My daddy always told me that I needed to work on my anger as much as my listening and my being slow to speak! I suspect that you might be the same way. Are you quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger? Delve into His Word, bend your knees in prayer and share the “GOOD NEWS” with the world and grow in His Grace so that you will be, QUICK TO LISTEN, SLOW TO SPEAK AND SLOW TO ANGER! Do not allow these difficult times to cause you to alter your spiritual growth pathway… To God Be The Glory, Forever and Ever, Amen! Stay Strong, Stay Focused… Remember, THE BEST IS YET TO BE!