My mum used to remind me when I was little that I had two ears and only one mouth. The moral of this, she argued, was that I should spend twice as much time listening as talking.
A look at the text (Read James 1:19-21)
James says that we must be quick when it comes to one thing and slow when it comes to two others. We should be quick or prompt when listening but slow in our response to what we see and hear, slow to speak, to give our own opinions, slow to get angry (1:19). This is because our anger, some versions refer to it as “human anger” because it’s anger that belongs to humans, doesn’t result in the righteousness and justice that God desires for us (v20). We are to remove from our lives the things that cause this kind of sinful anger, filth and evil. Instead, faith is about believing and accepting God’s word and allowing it to take root because unlike our anger, it does produce the result God desires, salvation. This suggests too that the thing we are specifically to be prompt and eager to listen to is God’s Word (v22).
Digging deeper
James is continuing to paint a picture of the difference between the person who has faith and the one who doesn’t. If the faithless, doubting person is agitated, unsettled and not dependable, then that will also come out in their hastiness to speak, to give their opinion and to show their emotions, often reflected in anger. [1]This is because:
“anger refers not so much to general outbursts of frustration as deep seated wrath or rage.”
The person who has faith on the other hand can be seen to be listening to, trusting and resting in God Word which settled them and gives them peace. Notice that James, as Paul would, treats righteousness and salvation as synonymous. The righteous person is the one who has been saved, rescued from God’s judgement on sin.
A look at ourselves
Anger, bitterness and blame seem to dominate much of the culture of society around us. Think about how much of social media is dominated by this. Consider the refrain of the advertisers “Where there is blame, there’s a claim.” When people see how we respond to our circumstances and to what is going on in the world, do they get the impression that we are angry people or do they see something different?
[1] Blomberg & Kamell, James, 86.
Faithroots 