Two Ears, One Mouth, and One Very Short Fuse

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. James 1.19-20

Two ears, one mouth, and one very short fuse—an inventory of the basic human equipment with which members of a fallen humanity relate to one another. Here James issues to believers a warning against jabbering on without giving a guy a chance to get a word in edge-wise. Should such a warning be necessary for those described as new creatures in Christ? And surely nobody on the receiving end of divine forbearance, patience, and forgiveness could ever be guilty of being hot-headed. Or then again…maybe we should take a moment to reflect on the three imperative commands found in these verses.

First, you and I are challenged to a watchful readiness to listen. Snap to it, hustle up, as soon as possible you must listen. “Seek first to understand, then to be understood,” is one of the Seven Habits of Highly Successful People explained in the best-selling book on leadership. This habit is not easily established. A smug bit of philosophy proposes that another man listens to you talk only because he hopes it will be his turn next. True as this may be, our efforts to listen are greatly enhanced through attention to James’ next exhortation, “be slow to speak.”

Second, “Zip it,” James reproves us. Slow to speak is a gentle way of saying “just shut up already.” Our proneness to be eager to speak and reluctant to listen must be turned on its head. The New Living Translation paraphrases Proverbs 10.19 in these words, “don’t talk too much, for it fosters sin. Be sensible and turn off the flow.” A more somber warning is found in Ecclesiastes 5.1-3 where the preacher writes, “draw near to hear, rather than give the sacrifice of fools…do not be rash with your mouth…let your words be few.” For the final blow, the preacher concludes that, “a fool’s voice is known by his many words.”I think you get the idea.

Third, be slow to anger. This term for anger pictures a welling up, like the sap of a tree in springtime or the raging of the sea. The term describes being carried away by irrational impulses which run counter to sound thought or factual information and usually involves a desire for vengeance. The Greek tragedy seldom strayed from a basic formula featuring a negative impulse, which, once acted upon, brought catastrophic misery. Man’s anger is consistently presented as a negative principle in the Scriptures. Outbursts of anger are incompatible with the sanctified life to which the Christian is called.

As a state leader, you are familiar with biting critiques such as, “he sure loves the sound of his own voice.”May it not be true of you as a professing Christian. You know the risks of your constituents feeling that you are not listening, that you do not understand their concerns, that you are out of touch. May it not be true of you as a professing Christian. Daily headlines spotlight the tragic consequences of a moment given over to anger. May it not be true of you as a professing Christian. May it never be so of you!