¹⁹ Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; (James 1:19 ESV)

I have not always held well to this scripture. I have listened poorly, been hasty to speak and quick to anger. As I have gotten older and a bit more mature, I am better at slowing down to listen to the quiet whispers of God when something or someone provokes me to anger.

In essence, I have learned to relax.

It could be said that there was a time that I was wound tight. I was a spring under pressure waiting to be released. Luckily, God tempered this with those around me who were better listeners than I at that time. Good members to counsel me when I was less than relaxed.

We need to slow down, listen more, speak less and see if there is true need to be angry. By this I mean justifiable anger not based upon our fragile nature but upon a scriptural wrong. Otherwise, we are just acting upon our own sinful nature.

When we learn to lean in I and listen for God’s still small voice, we find that the loud clamoring of our own willful nature dies down.