Tag: James

“Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger”

James 119, 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.

“Bad listeners do not make good disciples,” wrote British author John Stott. Like Grandma said, “God gave us two ears and one mouth so we should listen twice as much as we speak!”

The author then proceeds to give a threefold admonition or warning, using three key words whose themes are further developed: to hear in verses 22–25, to speak in 26–27, and to anger in 20–21. [1]

Quick to Hear

To hear what? James answers that question in v. 18: “the word of truth,” and v. 21, “humbly accept the word planted in you.”

James tells us we should be quick to listen to God, but how is God speaking to us today? Do you remember the story of the little boy Samuel in 1 Samuel chapter 3?

8 The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

In the past, God spoke directly to men like Abraham, Samuel and Saul of Tarsus. Today God speaks directly through his Holy Bible and He also speaks to us through his creation. For the Christian, God also speaks through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

In addition to listening to God, we need to learn to listen to each other. That means listening to our spouses at home where communication is critical to our happiness. It means to be keen observers in the workplace and the community where listening leads to action. It especially means listening to one another in our fellowship.

When we choose not to listen, we are saying, “You are not important.” When we listen intently, we have the opportunity to say, “You are important to me. I love you.”

“Slow to Speak”

This is a fascinating admonition. James might be encouraging people to not quickly become a preacher (See 3:1 – 12), but it is also good advice for dealing with anger, his third admonition.

Slow to Become Angry

See Ephesians 4:26, 31.

Why is anger mentioned in this context? “Or, if we understand the previous admonition as against preachers who are too eager to preach the word of God, the anger mentioned here could conceivably be understood as a sort of contempt against or hostility to others, arising out of a person’s arrogance and zeal for the word of God.”[2]

On the other hand, this is simply good advice for everyone. Batsell Barett Baxter observed, “Of the four major destructive emotions: fear, guilt, hostility, and failure, hostility is the worst.”

What causes so much anger in our world? It could be a reaction against depersonalization. Do you ever feel like you are just a number? When you are forced to “Press 1 if you …. Press 2 to talk with …. Press 3 to …,” do you feel like you don’t really matter? Often, we are reduced to just a number and it fills us with frustration and that leads to anger.

Selfishness is another source of anger. I want things done my way and I want them done now. I don’t want to wait in line. I don’t want to take a number. I don’t want to eat __________. I, I, I and I become angry!

What does the Bible teach about anger? First, anger is a God-given emotion and anger is not necessarily sinful. The phrase “the anger of the Lord” appears 18 times in the Old Testament and Jesus himself became angry (Mark 3:5). However, there are times when anger is wrong. It can disqualify a man from serving as an elder. Fathers are not to cause their children to become bitter – the fruit of an angry childhood (Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21). Jesus taught anger prepares a person for the fires of hell! (Matthew 5:21-24) Yet, there are times when anger is the proper response (2 Corinthians 7:10, 11).

Questions

  1. What safeguards should my anger have?
  2. What should I become angry about?
  3. How can I safely express my anger?

[1] Loh, I., & Hatton, H. (1997). A handbook on the Letter from James. UBS Handbook Series (41). New York: United Bible Societies.

[2] Loh, I., & Hatton, H. (1997). A handbook on the Letter from James. UBS Handbook Series (42–43). New York: United Bible Societies.

Living with Temptation

The Source of Temptation

James 112 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (ESV)

Temptations & Trials

There are two reefs that threaten the faith of a Christian. The first is “trial” and the second is “temptation.” Trials come at us from without and are a part of life. On the other hand, temptations come at us from within.

Who should we blame for our temptations? God? No, James reminds us God can’t be tempted and doesn’t tempt anyone (v.13). Should we blame Satan? The comedian, Flip Wilson, popularized the saying, “The devil made me do it!” But James tells us, we are tempted by our own desires. Like a fish looking at a lure, we are “lured and enticed.”

That’s an interesting concept because the word translated “desire” is actually neutral. The NIV adds the adjective “evil” and the KJV uses the word “lust” in place of desire, but the word desire is actually neutral. The problem is balance. James says we are “drawn away.” In other words, we are moved to an extreme. Hunger is natural. Gluttony is not. When our appetites get the best of us, it is a temptation that lures us into sin.

The Apostle John wrote:

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Jn 2:15–17)

Damning Desires

Let’s break John’s observations down further so we can understand our temptations. The first pathway to sin is giving in to “what the body desires” (The ancient Peshito-Syriac Bible translates it this way) — in other words, our appetites. Even the Apostle Paul wrestled with this kind of temptation (Romans 7:18 ff.) Do you remember the first temptation of Jesus? “Turn these stones into bread.” That is another example of “what the body desires.”

Beyond our appetites are what the old King James Version called the “lust of the eyes,” what the more modern International Standard Version calls “the desire for possessions.” I’d call it good, old-fashioned “greed,” (God’s Word Translation). This was the second temptation of Jesus, where, according to Luke, Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offered them to him.

The third tool of temptation is particularly modern: “the pride of life.” In the latest version of the NIV, this pathway to temptation reads like a description of social media: “their boasting about what they have and do,” (TNIV). Young’s Translation calls it, “the ostentation of the life.”

There is another way to view this temptation. The Lexham English Bible translates this third tool of temptation as “the arrogance of material possessions.” Christians should believe we don’t possess anything. We are only managers of what God has given us. Sometimes we forget we’ll give an accounting for how we used God’s gifts to help others.

Likewise, if you think about the third temptation of Christ, to leap off the pinnacle of the Temple and prove He was the son of God, you’ll see this as another aspect of the temptation we are discussing: pride.

Learning to Control Our Desires

So how can we learn to control our desires and deal with our temptations? First, it is important to realize, sin and temptation are not the same! James would tell us temptation is a part of growth. Remember, to triumph later, we must prepare now and that means learning to recognize sin and to unmask the Tempter.

This means our lives must have a purpose and we must never take our eyes off the prize.

Finally, perhaps the most important solution is to find contentment. Here are four verses to write on our hearts:

  1. “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. “ (2 Corinthians 12:10)
  2. “… for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13)
  3. “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” (1 Timothy 6:6-8).
  4. “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5, 6)