The Word Says:
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”
Verse Thoughts:
Too often in life, we discover the folly of opening our mouth and responding in careless haste to the words and actions of others, and too often we react in annoyance or anger only to discover that we had misunderstood the facts of the matter, causing us to regret that we spoke so quickly and reacted so hastily.
There are many Scriptures that warn of the poison that can fall from the tongue and the damage that unguarded words or fiery tempers can produce, which can so often spark a fire that harms so many people. Other Scriptures advise us to listen to what is said, to hear what is spoken, to guard our lips in what we say, and our reactions in all we do, in order to diffuse a situation and not be a cause of a flare up.
In this passage, James was writing to warn believers against self-deception. In particular, he was encouraging them to pay careful heed to the Word of God: “For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”
If our words and actions are to be seasoned with salt and honouring to our Father, we should especially be quick to hear the words of wisdom that come from the Scriptures and to be wise in our response to God’s voice.
Sometimes we may not like what we hear, and sometimes believers have been known to argue with God and become angry at His Word, but the wise man or woman will be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, particularly in the things of the Lord.