slow to speak

"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you" (James 1: 19-21, NIV).

We are all guilty of becoming quick to anger. Different things get people angry very quick. Driving for example, I am quick to anger when I'm cut off by another driver or when someone accuses me of something I did not do: I get angry real fast. When this happens, I am also quick to speak my mind, as controlled by the emotional anger I feel at the moment. I may cuss at the other driver, or snap at my coworkers or supervisor if I feel cornered.  But this is not what God wants from us.

Jesus wants us to be slow to speak and slow to be angry, and quick to listen. When I'm angry, it takes effort to slow my anger down and bite my lip so that I don't say something that I know I will regret. This is because when you are angry and are quick to speak in your anger, the words you end up using are usually hurtful or hateful and don't reflect the love the Jesus wants you to project to others.

Anger is an avenue in which the devil can sneak into your heart and try to take control of you. Don't hold on to anger because of this. Let your anger go and you are released from the grip of satan. If you don't he can get a foothold in your heart and will lead you away from Jesus.  I find that holding on to anger takes a lot of energy and separates me from my relationship with the Lord. If you hold on to anger, your relationship with Jesus can be compromised and you will begin to slip in your walk with him. 

This leads to the second part of the quoted verse above. With anger and holding on to anger, you become susceptible to the world's moral filth and evil that is as prevalent today as it was when this verse was written.  Instead of being angry and opening yourself to evil thoughts, which lead to evil desires, let that anger go. Be humble in Christ and your anger will dissipate and will turn to understanding and love. You will be able to let that anger go and approach the person or situation that you were angry with in a different manner (love) that will reflect that which the Lord wants: Love towards one another. Hold on to anger and you can't emulate love to others.

Be aware when you feel anger percolating up inside of you and quickly pray and ask for that anger to be turned into understanding and love. With love, you can overcome anything. With anger you are caught in the snare of satan.  The Lord, once saved, has planted His word in your heart and you need to hold on to that seed of love and compassion to overcome your anger.

Don't let anger rule you life. Let Jesus and His Word rule your heart, mind, and sole. How do you wrap yourself in Jesus and His Word? You do this by daily speaking to Jesus, studying His Word, and keeping him in the forefront of your mind at all times. Do this and anger will subside or dissipate completely from you when a situation arises when you can be angry. 

Be slow to speak. Especially if you are caught up in anger. You can't take words back and when you speak out of anger, the words coming out of your mouth are usually not of love or compassion or understanding. By biting your lip if you are angry, you will avoid saying those things that you will regret the moment you say them. Before you speak, let the anger go and when you speak, you will be speaking in a way that emulates the love and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ.  If you speak before you overcome your anger, you are speaking words pushed out by satan and will end up hurting others and not portraying yourself as a child of the Lord, but as a worker of the devil. 

Be the bigger person and avoid being angry and speaking in anger. This is pleasing to the Lord and will bring you closer to the Lord by having self control over your emotions and your tongue.