Today's Word

 

I have been self-employed for around 35 years, probably longer than many people’s working career, but I did work in paid employment in industry before that. Nominally, I am called a management consultant, which sounds a bit posh. So having been asked the question, ‘What do you do as a management consultant?’ I answered half-seriously, ‘I talk a lot!’.

Now I realise that no one who knows me well, really believes that to be true!!! 

But I found some very practical advice in the Bible which is the exact opposite of the statement I made. We find the advice in perhaps the most down-to-earth book in the Bible, James, and chapter 1 verse 19: “Let every person be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger”.

If we took these words to heart in all our personal conversations, do you think there would be greater harmony and unity within our lives and indeed our church fellowship? Too often, we hear and react hastily, and divisions and disputes arise because we are human. Some very practical follow-up advice: when we perhaps hear something that offends or upsets us in conversation, is to either wait for 10 seconds before replying (slow to speak) and then ensure what we say is not delivered in anger, or to apologise for the interruption and walk away. 

There is certainly absolutely no room for anger in our fellowship at church. Jesus had some very strong condemnation of anger against any of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Do we really consider anger to be a sin in our fellowship? I do not believe so! But the verse says ‘slow to anger. We can be too quick in our reactions to judge clearly what has been said. So a plea from a ‘talker’, please let us all take James’ words to heart and apply them in all aspects of our lives.

Article written by Brian Preston, Elder @SFGH Church