Saturday, October 12, 2013

James 1:19-20 – “Pearls of Wisdom”


As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

19My beloved brothers, know [this], let every man be swift into the hearing, slow into the speaking, slow into anger, 20for the anger of man is not producing [the] righteousness of God.

“Swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to get angry.” What an ideal objective to take with us every day!

One of the issues commentators deliberate is whether v19 applies in general to life or specifically to the hearing of the Word. As they point out, just before this, in v18, “He gave us life through the word of truth” then immediately following, in v21 we’re admonished to receive the engrafted Word, then follows the discussion of being doers of the Word and “not hearers only.”

Certainly being “swift to hear, slow to speak” applies directly to the hearing of the Word and it (the Word) is front and center in this passage. Just this last Sunday I found this verse helpful as I found our pastor teaching a message that I “didn’t like.” The Lord kept reminding me, “Swift to hear, slow to speak …” I can say first hand it definitely applies to the hearing of the Word!

All of that being said, though, I don’t necessarily buy that James is specifically wanting us to apply v19 to only the hearing of Bible truth. I guess I’m just not sure you can compartmentalize life that neatly. What I mean is, I doubt anyone will do well listening to the Word when they don’t listen well to anyone or anything else. Good listening, if it’s real, involves realizing I have a lot to learn, sincerely valuing the thoughts of others, of realizing that a huge expression of love is to deliberately listen to what others wish to say.

My contention would be the person who hasn’t learned these things in their everyday life isn’t going to suddenly become humble and teachable just because he’s sitting on a pew. I think it is a lifestyle decision. The fool who “finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions” (Prov 18:2) is the same fool in church or out. When the Lord warns us, “He who answers before listening – that is his folly and shame” (Prov 18:13), He certainly never intended us to think that applies only to the hearing of the Word, as important and applicable as that may be. As I have often contended, our world is fractal, not just linear. Even though time passes linearly, our lives consist of patterns more so than a series of events. This business of being like Jesus and practicing a humble spirit is a pattern we pursue, not just a choice we make as we sit in church (though, as I was reminded on Sunday, that certainly is part of it!).

I guess I just want to make the point (since this is my blog and, being a fool, I’m airing my own opinions!) that “swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” is a motto we should all take with us all day every day everywhere we go.

For whatever it’s worth, I have to say too, while we’re on the subject, that “listening” is not an activity that many excel in. It is shocking to me how much we all talk and how little we communicate. For myself, it is a rare experience to want to “tell someone something” and ever find anyone who actually listens. It is really quite frustrating until I’m reminded that I don’t do so well myself. I walked away from a conversation a week or so ago with the Lord making me realize that I very specifically was not listening. It makes me sick, to think someone was trying to tell me something and I was too full of myself to just stop and actually listen. They deserved better than that. “Swift to hear, slow to speak.” I’m quite sure when people spoke to Jesus He gave them His undivided attention. We all know that look on someone’s face when they really do care, when they really are listening, when they really do value us and whatever on earth it is we’re trying to say. That is a Jesus look. I hope and pray I’ll be more of that to other people and less and less of the self-engrossed buffoon I naturally am.

And “slow to anger” – what a blessing that has been to learn as I’ve tried to follow Jesus. Anger makes so much sense at the time, the words we want to say, the way we think we should treat people. Then there’s the “afterward.” “A fool shows his annoyance at once … his heart blurts out folly …” but “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways.” Seems like the older I get the more shocked I am at what an impatient buffoon I am. I get angry at the least little displeasure. Here I am sincerely wanting to live a life of love and yet finding myself all in a fluff over the most trivial stupid things. God help me. I guess the good news is that He has. Even though I am a ridiculously impatient buffoon, at least I know I’m not as bad as I was. I’m not as bad as I could be. And that is because the Lord has taught me so much about this emotion of anger. I think the best thing He taught me is basically just to keep my mouth shut! Once in a while there are things I really should have said, but most of the time I am really, really glad I didn’t!

The Word of God is certainly a string of pearls but this one is one of the brightest: “Swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” May He help me keep it in the very front of my heart. What a jewel of truth!

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