James Take NOTE!!!

 

James

Take NOTE!!!

 

 

 

We have a lot of disarming to do in America

The battle will not be won by being quick to speak

By shooting off our mouths

So be…

 #1 be quick to listen

#2 slow to speak

 #3 slow to become angry

Don’t let others put you on the defense

Don’t live life defending your goal

Live life on the offense, it is the only way to make a goal  

 

Take NOTE!!!

  

James has a way of getting to the point…

 

 Much like Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

 

He makes his point and leaves you

to unravel its impact for your life.

 

In James 1:19 he says…

 

“take note of this”

 

Three points of action, definition, and choice…

 

#1 be quick to listen

#2 slow to speak

 #3 slow to become angry

 

I can’t think of a time when this note of

advice is more important than in 2020.

 

It seems nobody is listening and

everybody is quick to speak.

 

Anger is out of control.

 

Our tempers have become very short.

 

James saw this and defines the contrast

between man’s anger and the righteous life…

  

“For man's anger does not bring about

 the righteous life that God desires.”

 

If you have a Facebook page or

watch the news or have a conversation

with a friend you know about man’s anger.

 

James says…

 

 Man’s anger is all moral filth.

 

Filth…dirtiness, turpitude and evil, super-

abundance, superfluity of malice, naughtiness,

wickedness, badness, depravity, malignity, trouble.

 

The contrast is the righteous life

or God’s righteousness.

 

Righteousness…justification, innocent, and just.

 

Being angry affects the mind,

it makes it hard to think right.

 

It is so sad to see how quick people

 are to respond to a Facebook post.

 

In minutes hundreds of post can be made and

nobody is listening, but everybody is quick to speak.

 

It seems we are just as free to write our angry

words as speak them and are proud of it.

 

James gives us a choice...

 

 Be humble, set aside your anger.

 

 Take time to get back to God’s Word

that is already in you. 

 

Let me give you some advice

 that I feel lines up with James’ advice.

 

When someone says something to you that

puts you on the defense and makes you angry…

 

Don’t get on the defense!

 

Instead of speaking your mind…

 

 Ask the person a question.

 

Ask them to please explain why

they see things the way they do.

 

This is being slow to speak.

 

Don’t do this to trap the other person.

 

Ask the question so you can understand

why they feel the way they do.

 

This will show the other person you

care about how they think and feel.

 

This is to disarm them of angry

words that don’t address the issue.

 

After you hear why they are angry and

why they see the issue as they do…

 

 Address them in humility.

 

Ask them to consider what you understand

as the Word of Truth, God’s Word in you.

We have a lot of disarming to do in America.

 

The battle will not be won by being quick

to speak, by shooting off our mouths.

 

So be…

 

 #1 be quick to listen

#2 slow to speak

#3 slow to become angry

 

Don’t let others put you on the defense.

 

Don’t live life defending your goal.

 

Live life on the offense…

 

It is the only way to make a goal.  

  

 

Scripture Reading

 

James 1:19-21 NIV

 

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.