Slow to Speak, Slow to Anger

Daily Meditation 914–9/1/2024

Happy September! Good gravy, we’re in the final (and best) 1/3 of the year.

While these DMs are seldom overtly “religious,” sometimes something from within my beliefs speaks to me and there is a good general message we can all benefit from.

Today at church, one of our readings was from James 1:19–20:

“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.”

While I added the emphasis on the latter half of verse 19, I would invite you to meditate upon these words.

You may not believe in God (as I do), so the part about human anger not producing the righteousness which God desires may, at first, seem to not apply. But hear me out.

We should all be better served by more thoroughly listening to others. Instead of preparing our retort, just hear. Instead of, mouth agape, words betongued, ready to reply…
Hear. Hear and absorb.

We should also be slow to speak — which is (sort of obviously) the second half of the listening bit. You needn’t reply immediately — people are usually socially competent enough to see you processing…