Key Verse: Verse 20 - “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”
Have you ever noticed that some people have short fuses? Now a short fuse with an explosive temper is a dangerous thing.
James, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells us three things that reveal God’s fruitfulness (verse 19).
We will be quick to listen to others.
We will be slow to say what we are thinking.
We will be slow to retaliate.
Anger does not defuse situations, it ignites them.
I’m reminded of a situation involving actress Carol Burnett. One day as she was getting out of a cab her coat was caught in the door. The driver was unaware of her plight and slowly began to edge out into the traffic. To keep from being pulled off her feet, the comedienne had to run along side down the block. A passerby noticed her predicament and quickly alerted the driver. He stopped, jumped out, and released Miss Burnett’s coat. “Are you all right?” he asked anxiously. “Yes,” she gasped, “but how much more do I owe you?”
Her humor and her being slow to wrath defused what could have been a volatile situation. On many occasions a volatile situation can be defused by asking God to help us be slow to wrath.
What to do:
✞ Today and everyday, ask God to help you fulfill James 1:19-20.
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