“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”— James 1:19–20
Many benefits come from being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. However, these instructions are difficult to put into practice. Maybe you’ve been intentional about listening first, thinking before you speak, but there’s still the emotion of anger that bubbles up unexpectedly. Before you know it, words escape, leaving a wake of hurt, regret, and damage to the heart of someone you care for.
Words matter. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that the power of life and death is in the tongue. Matthew 15:18 tells us it is the mouth that betrays the heart, making angry words a heart issue.
Whew! That feels heavy, but here’s the good news. As a child of God, you are a new creation. God gives you His Spirit and His written Word for the daily renewal of your mind and transformation of your heart. The Bible isn’t just a nice book of words; it gives life and has the power to influence and shape hearts. God’s Word implanted in your life will bring about the righteous life that God wants for you.
You can imprint Bible verses on your heart as a prayer. Speak those prayers out loud, read them silently, and/or write them in a journal.
Repeat often until you see transformation!
Dear God,
Let Your written Word be the living word in me. Please show me how to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. I choose Your words that have the power of life. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart reflect Your love and words of life. I want to live the righteous life possible because of Jesus. Please change my heart and transform my mind as you say you can do in your Word. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen!
If you’re not certain you are a child of God, text the word LIFE to 41224.
If you want to join the Grounded Life journey and receive these devos in your email each month, sign up here.