For your Information .............Every man must be swift about hearing Surely Christians should be quick to respond to God’s word or message. Hearing, in this case, also has the sense of obeying. (John 8:37, 38, 47) We should be not only hearers, but doers also. All pride, stubbornness, prejudice and personal opinion should be laid aside in the meek hearing of God’s “word.” We should desire God’s “word” just as an infant desires milk. Not that we are all babes, spiritually, but that we long for the word just as babes eagerly look for their feeding of milk. (Compare 1 Peter 2:2.) The similarity is not in being babes, but in having a strong, anxious desire to feed constantly on that word. slow about speaking Before speaking, we should give thoughtful consideration to what we are going to say. (Prov. 15:28; 16:23) Not until we ourselves have paid attention to God’s requirements are we in a position to teach others. (Rom. 2:17-24) We must guard against becoming like those described by the apostle Paul as men who wanted to be teachers but did not understand the words that they were using nor the concepts ‘about which they were making strong assertions.’ (1 Tim. 1:7) We should not be talking, giving out ideas to others, until we have first listened carefully to what God’s Word has to say. If we do not have Bible backing for what we say, we can greatly mislead ourselves and others. Proverbs 17:27 states: “Anyone holding back his sayings is possessed of knowledge, and a man of discernment is cool of spirit.” James’ counsel about being slow to speak is seen to be timely, in view of the correction he was constrained to give the brothers in chapters 3 and 4 of his letter. slow about wrath We are admonished to work hard to keep anger in check, not allowing ourselves to lose our temper. Since this point is made in connection with obedient response to the “word” of truth, manifestly any examination of the truth must be approached with the right frame of mind and heart. While in an agitated state, a person cannot really appreciate divine requirements. (Compare Proverbs 19:3.) He is in no condition to act in harmony with them. If we are angered by what others say, we should ‘slow down’ before answering, so as to avoid a bitter, vindictive reply, which may anger and alienate others and cause us great trouble. Sometimes we may be angry, but then the Bible warns: “Be wrathful, and yet do not sin.” (Eph. 4:26) At such a point, being slow about expressing anger will save us from sinning.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 12:31:14 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015