Balance!

Balance!

Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; James 1:19 AMP

The Context and Focus:

As is the usual practice, we look at the audience to whom the words are addressed. At the start of the letter, James makes it clear he is speaking to the Jews, who either by persecution or other reasons, had become scattered abroad among the Gentiles and other nations. Out of the many reasons why this would have happened, one is that it was God's will that the gospel of Jesus be preached to the world at the time, and what better way was there than for those who had responded to the gift of God and received salvation through the grace of God to be witnesses to other people. God does not make mistakes; all He allows would be carefully calibrated to bring out his perfect will, if we allow Him work in and through us. Wherever I may be located now, if indeed I am a child of God, is where God wants me to be, and as long as I am yielded to His will, and obeying His commands. Am I making the best use of the opportunities God brings my way? Is my life a living, breathing witness to the power of God? 

The Message:

With the audience defined, the expectations can also be set out. My life's expressions are the product of my heart's impressions. I flow out with the things I have allowed to settle on my heart. Check this out: you spend three terms in school, in order to prepare for an exam that may last three hours. It means that more time is required to prepare, than to express. That is the message of today's verse, and it shows that I have to be focused more on preparation and contents, rather than expression. The world is all about 'making a statement', but for me, it is about impacting lives. Whether I like it or not, every expression of my life is a reflection of what is stored up in my heart. It is not a wonder then that the verse above encourages me to listen more. That is the foundation to what gets stored in my heart. It says 'careful, thoughtful listener, which means it is not everything that passes by my ear that I must allow to settle. If I know that one day, that which I have heard will be revealed by the things I speak, I will be more deliberate about what I listen or react to. 

The Conclusion:

It is also clear from the verse above that I cannot be silent forever. God has given me ears and a mouth for many reasons, but one of them would be so that I can take of the grace I have received, and be a blessing to other people. It could also mean that God wants me to hear twice as much as I speak. The verse says 'a speaker of carefully chosen words', as well as one who is 'slow to anger'. You don't get to this state by being careless about impressions and engagements. There is a divine connection of the heart, ears and mouth, and anyone who will make eternal impact must watch that connection carefully. There are times when words are appropriate, but there are also times when words are completely unnecessary. There are situations that holy and righteous anger would be appropriate, but there are also times when walking away is the right thing to do. You know what is right in all situations when you are rightly connected and dependent on the grace of God. That is the divine supply that is needed for today's verse to make sense to me. Would I depend on God for this journey of impact? God's time of favour is here.