Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
I don't know where you're at today, but this is one of those verses that usually hits us in a place where it is very relatable and very challenging. With so many different things that we encounter on a day to day basis, this challenge here represents itself very often.
I know anyone who spends time on social media, even for a few minutes, will find that this verse will be directly applicable very quickly. When I think about this verse and its context, I really think about what a deep challenge it truly is. This word was written during a time where there was a group of people who were experiencing a suffering and a challenge to their faith culturally, that would have been incredibly difficult to navigate.
This idea of a reminder to not be quick to anger felt very, very important during a time when there were a lot of reasons to justify, to feel angry about the way that they were being treated. Even though we might not find ourselves in a similarly suffering type of place for our faith, we do know that there are a lot of moments in everyday life that present a challenge for us to not be quick to anger.
The Challenge to Listen First
I see this verse and it says, you must be quick to listen and slow to speak. You know the old adage that's been passed along for generations that says you have two ears and one mouth. That means you need to listen first before talking. When I think about what it means for us in our faith journey to prioritize listening before speaking, it is not missed upon me that we live in a day and age where there are an immense amount of opportunities for us to share our opinion and vocalize what we think. We will tell anyone who will listen to us what we know to be true.
For us to truly understand the plight of another person and to truly be able to communicate the love of Jesus to another, we need to listen to the people that we are hopefully going to encourage in the way of Jesus.
Moving Beyond Anger
When I think about this anger idea and why it's important for us not to rush to get angry. It goes on, in the verse following, to say that anger will not produce the righteousness of God. Ultimately, at the end of the day, even if we are passionate about issues in culture or we see things that we believe to be wrong in our viewfinder, the thing that will lead people to repentance and to change, it tells us in Romans chapter 2, is the loving kindness of Christ.
If we can't find ways, even in our disdain for things that are happening in culture, to communicate the love of Christ, not simply just our anger toward what we see, we're going to miss an opportunity to extend that love to others.
A Filter for Daily Life
As you're thinking about this verse today, allow it to be a filter by which you see the world. Am I quick to listen? Am I slow to speak? Will I operate from a place of love? Will I operate with an invitation toward hope, rather than allowing anger to drive every decision that I make?
