The Righteousness God Desires
19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness 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. —James 1:19-21, NIV
• James says this is a
• We’re to be in hurry to
• If we fail to prioritize listening, being slow to speak and slow to become angry are
• James doesn’t say we shouldn’t speak, and he doesn’t say we should never become angry, but he says it should take us a
• Righteous anger is
• Being quick to listen puts us in touch with our shared
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. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone 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 whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. —James 1:22-27 (NIV)
• It’s
For those who are tempted to combine faith with deeds in grandiose ways, James is a bit of a damper. His challenges are so mundane, so trivial, so not globally driven. They aren’t likely to get anyone noticed or praised or applauded.
Simply put, James says, our inner faith should result in anger management, a lack of prejudice, controlled speech, and neighborly love. And if it doesn’t, well then, it is not true faith—end of story. —The Way, Introduction to the Book of James, NLT