“19Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” –James 1:19-21 (ESV)
There is a good amount to take from these verses, but what I have been brought to this morning is related to the ability of the Word to save your soul. I am always looking for the nuggets of information to drive me to improvement and in verse 19 it begins with “let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak”. I witness people engaged in discussion with others and as I watch, it seems as though there is always one person that does all the talking, and usually, that person is the one that should truly be doing the listening. As noted in verse 19, we are to listen first and then speak.
It is a wonder what we will find when we listen first. In the context of these verses, it is up to us to hear the Word of God and when we do, we receive that which is able to save us. When we are listening, we are able to pick up the nuances of God’s Word that is said but not fully understood by just the mere words themselves. We are able to apply the Word of God in the context it was meant and not just based on the words that are said in passing.
The other part of listening to the Word of God is that we are able to avoid the pitfalls that come with reactionary actions. We slow down and focus which can remove us from harms way. Think about the time that you spent a few minutes praying and talking with God prior to a road trip. Once you are on the road, you come upon an accident that had happened 5 minutes before your arrival. Your time spent talking with and listening to God took you out of harms way and you were not in the accident, but came upon it.
The Word of God “is able to save your soul” in more ways than one. The opportunity for me to listen carefully and apply the Word in my life will lift me up out of adversity and make my pathway clear. It is up to me to engage with God and not just pray to Him, but listen to Him as He speaks.
When you are out there in the world, are you the one that does all of the talking? Are you willing to open your ears and listen to the Word of God? Will you allow the Word to be “able to save your soul”?
Trevor's Thoughts 