Slow to Anger

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:19-21, NKJV

If I’m being honest, reigning in my temper has been a lifelong struggle. Alongside countless other young men, I spent the early years of my adult life attempting to prove to everyone that I was right rather than being righteous. Unfortunately, it seems what was once a young man’s ailment has become a plague on much of our world, regardless of age or gender. Disconnected screaming matches that once happened primarily online have spilled over into the real world and rage is quickly becoming a state of being rather than a temporary emotion.

 James provides the antidote for this disease of wrath in the passage above. He instructs his audience to listen more, speak (or shout) less, and to reel in anger because it is empty and shameful compared to the righteousness of God. He then goes on to share why this is so important. We have to cast off the wrath that is self-serving so that we can be humbled and transformed through the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. What it really points to is the same denial of self that Paul writes about in Galatians 5:17. We must set aside our sinful desire to seek our own glory rather than God’s.  

 Why fight when we know the battle is won by the resurrected Christ? Rather, our lives should be spent simply inviting those around us to share in the victory.