Slow
Daily Vitamin
Slow — “My dearest brothers and sisters, take this to heart: Be quick to listen, but slow to speak. And be slow to become angry, for human anger is never a legitimate tool to promote God’s righteous purpose.” (James 1:19–20, TPT)
Be honest with yourself for a moment. How many times have you been halfway through a conversation, already thinking of your answer, before the other person even finished talking? Most of us do it. We hear the first part, decide where it’s going, and start building our reply while the rest of the sentence is still being spoken.
James gives us a better way: be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. I like the way The Remedy Bible puts these verses. We are to seek to understand the conversation before we seek to be understood in our replies!
“Remember this, my dear Christian family: Seek to understand before seeking to be understood, and don’t be quick to take offense, for a person’s outrage is based on selfishness and does not promote restoration of Christlike character as God desires.” (James 1:19–20, The Remedy Bible)
Now, take that same posture into your Bible. When we read, are we slow to assume we already understand what’s being said? It’s easy to read a familiar verse, assume we know what it means, and move on, the same way we do in conversation. Slowing down in our studies means coming with a teachable heart, reading the whole passage instead of one line, asking Holy Spirit to teach us, and pondering before we draw conclusions.
So let’s learn to slow down in our conversations, in our reactions, and in our studies. Listening first isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom!
Today’s Declarations:
I declare that I am quick to listen and slow to speak!
I declare that I am slow to anger, and I do not take offense easily!
I declare that I seek to understand before I seek to be understood!
I declare that I come to Daddy God’s Word with a teachable heart, and Holy Spirit teaches me!
Let’s Pray:
Daddy God, thank You for listening to me and for being slow to anger. Help me to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Forgive me for the times I rushed to be understood instead of seeking to understand. Give me a teachable heart in my conversations and in Your Word, and let Holy Spirit slow me down and teach me. Grow Your Christlike character in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Be a Blessing,
Sir Gregory
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