Philip Dampier's Blog

Chapter 1, Verse 19-20 “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

James moves to a new subject, this one dealing with proper behavior for Christians. He touches on one of the causes of strife between brothers in the Lord. Anger when not controlled is a dangerous thing. Uncontrolled anger disrupts families, friends and unfortunately churches.

James gives good advice on preventing anger. Quick to hear, slow to speak is his advice. This combination produces less anger. Quick to hear allows us to get all the facts and consider them before we pass judgment on them. Slow to speak controls thoughtless speech and helps us to reason while we talk. We can talk ourselves out of anger. It can be suppressed.

Christians can be passionate about a cause, and if it is a righteous cause they should be. Anger on the other hand seldom ends in righteous behavior.

Task for Today: Today, in your conversations, practice the quick and slow responses. Listen carefully and fully. Don’t reply until you are sure your answer is the correct one both in truth and action. As much as possible live peacefully with everyone around you. Angry words hurt, kind words heal.