Don’t you hate having to listen? I know I do. Sometimes having to wait my turn to talk can take all the self-control I have. As God’s children, however, we should be living our lives differently than everyone else.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry – James 1:19 (NIV)
God says we should be quick to listen. That means that when we want to blurt out our ideas, and interrupt others, we have to challenge ourselves to listen instead. When we want to talk and share our point of view, we should be seeking to speak slowly instead. When we want to lose our cool and get mad, we should be slow to be angry instead.
That can seem overwhelming, can’t it. You might think, there’s no way you can remember to do these things and to be self-controlled.
Here’s the good news: you don’t have to. Instead, you can ask the Holy Spirit to be your helper. He can help you understand the tough things and also He can show you ways to make following God’s word easier. So today, don’t be discouraged. Don’t read things in the Bible and feel like you can’t do it. Instead realize that God has given you the help and empowerment you need to do good works for Him!
