QUICK TO LISTEN...

James 1: 19 – 25


Once more I want to see a show of hands. How many of us are really quick to listen, and slow to speak?
I'd like to think that I am, but there are times when I reverse the process. I think that we all do that from one time to the other. I know that we all try to live by the word, but, there are just times, in our weakness, that we throw the word away and act on our base instincts.
We lash out verbally and sometimes physically at the targets of our venom, all because we were slow to listen and quick to act.
We want to strike in anger while our emotions are hot. It's almost as if we don't want to listen, we want it that way so that we feel justified in out actions. The only problem with that, is that we lie to ourselves if we say we are Christian.

19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

If we follow this example, we are living right. We are following the word of God, and as it says in the book Brave New World”, “Ford's in His fliver and alls right with the world”.
But, if we don't, we sort of lose our way. We forget what it was that brought us to the Lord in the first place. I know that I came to know Him partly because my life was spinning out of control. I don't want to remember what that was like, I want to know who I am now, and if I forget to live by the word, I can forget all the stuff that I have gained through Christ.


23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Why do we do things like this to ourselves and the ones we love?
It really baffles me at times. It must be that we are not perfect beings. We are flawed and doomed if we don't have a relationship with God.
We have to read the word, get to know God on a personal level, then we get to live out the word, thus, improving our lives and the lives of those around us.

James 1: 19 – 25


Once more I want to see a show of hands. How many of us are really quick to listen, and slow to speak?
I'd like to think that I am, but there are times when I reverse the process. I think that we all do that from one time to the other. I know that we all try to live by the word, but, there are just times, in our weakness, that we throw the word away and act on our base instincts.
We lash out verbally and sometimes physically at the targets of our venom, all because we were slow to listen and quick to act.
We want to strike in anger while our emotions are hot. It's almost as if we don't want to listen, we want it that way so that we feel justified in out actions. The only problem with that, is that we lie to ourselves if we say we are Christian.

19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

If we follow this example, we are living right. We are following the word of God, and as it says in the book Brave New World”, “Ford's in His fliver and alls right with the world”.
But, if we don't, we sort of lose our way. We forget what it was that brought us to the Lord in the first place. I know that I came to know Him partly because my life was spinning out of control. I don't want to remember what that was like, I want to know who I am now, and if I forget to live by the word, I can forget all the stuff that I have gained through Christ.


23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Why do we do things like this to ourselves and the ones we love?
It really baffles me at times. It must be that we are not perfect beings. We are flawed and doomed if we don't have a relationship with God.
We have to read the word, get to know God on a personal level, then we get to live out the word, thus, improving our lives and the lives of those around us.