James was an extraordinary leader who was not only humble but a man who truly walked in the footsteps of Christ. He was known as James the Just or James the Righteous. He was the half brother of our Lord Jesus Christ and served as the leader of the church at Jerusalem after the resurrection of Jesus.
According to the historical accounts of James, he was known for having knees like a camel due to his faithful prayer life. He was bold and willing to suffer for the sake of Christ. James was thrown down from the top of the Temple (about a 100 ft.) which did not kill him, so according to church tradition, the angry mob dragged him outside the city gate where they beat him to death with clubs.
This is a man who understood what it was like to be a true Christian. I want to learn from men like James. In his short epistle that is packed with pithy statements, he writes the following:
James 1:19 – Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger
It’s one thing to claim to be a follower of Jesus, but it’s quite a different thing to act like a Christian.
Consider the language of this powerful little verse. Arranged with parallelism, James delivers a punch with his proverbial statement. He’s obviously writing to Christians as noted by his use of the word “brother” and followed by the next phrase, “let every person” indicates that he’s not merely referencing leaders among the church. What follows is for every Christian within the church of Jesus Christ and should be examined carefully. It’s one thing to claim to be a follower of Jesus, but it’s quite a different thing to act like a Christian.
Quick to Hear: The Art of Listening
There is an art to listening. Many people appear to be listening when in reality they’re simply thinking of what they will say when the talking ceases. That’s really poor listening. Proper listening involves processing the information that’s being spoken with a desire to carefully consideration and respect of the individual who is speaking.
There is a need to recover the art of proper listening within the church today. This goes for normal conversation and the worship service as a whole. Listening to a sermon and listening to the singing (the actual words) is essential to a healthy church. However, as it pertains to conversations among friends, meetings, and confrontations—listening is essential to the pursuit of the truth and maintaining peace and unity among the body of Christ.
Due to the speed of information that comes our way through social media, we have become really poor listeners. Dopamine (a hormone in our brain) impacts us with specific reward and motivation functionality. Social media is designed to provide us with instant happiness in a short period of time through shallow information, likes, retweets, and follows. Cell phone companies create notification sounds and buzzes that create bursts of euphoria which communicates to the brain and encourages more usage for the pursuit of happiness and pleasure. In short, it’s like a drug, and like all other drugs—if not used properly it can adversely impact a person’s brain function. In this case, it hinders a person’s ability to focus on things that will not produce that instant high.
The command is for the Christian to be quick to hear, to listen, to engage the other party with a listening ear. The church must recover the art of listening.
We want information quickly and we don’t like waiting on people to speak. We have been conditioned to listen poorly. Our attention spans have become woefully short and that hinders our ability to listen with patience and respect. Notice how James phrases this command, “be quick to hear.” We all know what it’s like to be around someone who is quick to speak, quick to tweet, quick to respond with words, but what James commands here is the opposite. The command is for the Christian to be quick to hear, to listen, to engage the other party with a listening ear. The church must recover the art of listening.
Slow to Speak: The Discipline of Silence
The great temptation is to be quick to speak. James understood this reality because later in his letter he provides a sobering warning regarding the power of the unbridled tongue (James 3:5-6). In the opening section of his letter as he unpacks pure religion, he directs the brothers and sisters in Christ to be slow to speak.
I recall my father teaching me to drive. He as a fireman and paramedic for 36 years in our community. His advice was for me to drive slower rather than faster. He once said, “Son, always remember this simple lesson. A slow wreck is always better than a fast wreck.” As a fireman and paramedic, he had pulled plenty of people out of wrecked automobiles. He understood the devastating results of wrecking at a high rate of speed. A person is more likely to walk away from a slow wreck than a fast wreck.
When it comes to speaking, the same principle is true. A tongue that is moving at a high rate of speed will eventually wreck and the results will not be good. A sharp tongue and unbridled speech is characteristic of a fool. This is why James points the Christians in the opposite direction. James certainly understood what Jesus said about the tongue:
Matthew 12:36–37 – I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
With this in mind, we need to approach conversations, meetings, social media, and cases of church discipline with careful thought before we open our mouths. We will give an account of how we use our tongues—for good or evil. James likewise built his teaching off of the wise words of Solomon who provided the following exhortation:
Proverbs 17:28 – Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
Beware of the person who is always setting blazes with the tongue—this person’s faith must be seriously questioned.
When a fool opens his mouth, he reveals his folly to everyone. However, it’s much more respectable to remain silent than to open your mouth and reveal your ignorance with unrestrained speech that harms others and creates division. Beware of the person who is always setting blazes with the tongue—this person’s faith must be seriously questioned.
Slow to Anger: The Restraint Necessary for the Christian
Anger is not sinful if used properly. A passionate displeasure for the things that God hates is not wrong, but to not restrain your anger is sinful (Eph 4:26-27). When we consider the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ was angry, but he did not sin—this proves that anger is not sinful (Matt 21:12-13). However, we must likewise remember that not one of us within our local church is Jesus. We must be very cautious in our displays of anger because of the power, passion, and destruction that anger can bring about if left unrestrained.
Beware of the person who refuses to control his or her temper. This person is a dangerous individual who should be avoided. The Scriptures place this person in the category of a fool.
James commands restraint. He says, “be slow to anger.” Once again, the guardrails must be set accordingly. A hot temper and outbursts of unrestrained passion can be destructive. Beware of the person who refuses to control his or her temper. This person is a dangerous individual who should be avoided. Jesus provided us with a sobering warning in his sermon in Matthew:
Matthew 5:22 – But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Certainly James was building upon the teachings of the Proverbs that teach this same principle. We find these words in Proverbs 14:29 “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” We all know what it’s like to be around a person who is quick tempered. Sometimes people excuse themselves by stating that they inherited a quick temper from a family member. The fact is, all of us inherited sin from Adam, but that’s no license to live in sin. We are to put off the old unsanctified person and put on the new person in Christ (Col 3:9; Eph 4:22-24).
In the Christian life, imagine how fruitful and healthy our local churches would be if we were all pursuing holiness and a life of self-discipline that resulted in being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
Communication is key to all relationships in life. It involves listening, speaking, and emotion. In the Christian life, imagine how fruitful and healthy our local churches would be if we were all pursuing holiness and a life of self-discipline that resulted in being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Semper reformanda involves more than holding to reformed positions. It means we are to be always reforming in doctrine and life for the glory of God. The personalities of Hollywood and influences of social media glorify an unrestrained tongue and a hot temper, but the church needs to listen to the wisdom of James—a man who truly followed in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ.
