James 1:19-20
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
I received this verse via an email on a work day and I stopped to look at it for a while. Immediately, I told myself, how difficult it is for me to be quick to listen and slow to speak or react. Especially at work where I do my stuff at a hyper fast speed. Typically, when I start my day, the moment I see all my emails, I'll start working to read thoroughly and settle them one at a time. Call it a perculiar behaviour, but unlike most colleagues, I simply cannot have an inbox which is filled with unread emails. I simply must read everyone of them and settle them as soon as I can.
This also is seen in the way which I handle my projects. Everything must be quickly resolved and talked through. I cannot stand it when I resolve matters and it gets stuck in the next level due to people who work slowly or take their own time to read the email only at the end of the day. You can imagine me at an irritable mood the moment I wait for half a day and get no response or approval.
The moment I laid my eyes on this verse and resigned myself to it, I sighed because I knew that it's a virtue to be slow in reaction. It prevents one from acting impulsively. I know because I normally react to situations quickly in anger, some friends react quickly in compassion or with good intentions. But often, if we pondered and deliberated, we would have done things differently.
Today, may we learn to to be attentive and allow God to calm us so we can react slowly. I truely believe that as we wait and ponder before we react, we'll react well. The bible says, we'll end up behaving righteously because we never got angry and in our anger sinned.
blessings,
M.
"They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us." (Genesis 42:21)
17 October 2008
Quick to Listen, BUT slow to react
James 1:19-20
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
I received this verse via an email on a work day and I stopped to look at it for a while. Immediately, I told myself, how difficult it is for me to be quick to listen and slow to speak or react. Especially at work where I do my stuff at a hyper fast speed. Typically, when I start my day, the moment I see all my emails, I'll start working to read thoroughly and settle them one at a time. Call it a perculiar behaviour, but unlike most colleagues, I simply cannot have an inbox which is filled with unread emails. I simply must read everyone of them and settle them as soon as I can.
This also is seen in the way which I handle my projects. Everything must be quickly resolved and talked through. I cannot stand it when I resolve matters and it gets stuck in the next level due to people who work slowly or take their own time to read the email only at the end of the day. You can imagine me at an irritable mood the moment I wait for half a day and get no response or approval.
The moment I laid my eyes on this verse and resigned myself to it, I sighed because I knew that it's a virtue to be slow in reaction. It prevents one from acting impulsively. I know because I normally react to situations quickly in anger, some friends react quickly in compassion or with good intentions. But often, if we pondered and deliberated, we would have done things differently.
Today, may we learn to to be attentive and allow God to calm us so we can react slowly. I truely believe that as we wait and ponder before we react, we'll react well. The bible says, we'll end up behaving righteously because we never got angry and in our anger sinned.
blessings,
M.
"They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us." (Genesis 42:21)
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
I received this verse via an email on a work day and I stopped to look at it for a while. Immediately, I told myself, how difficult it is for me to be quick to listen and slow to speak or react. Especially at work where I do my stuff at a hyper fast speed. Typically, when I start my day, the moment I see all my emails, I'll start working to read thoroughly and settle them one at a time. Call it a perculiar behaviour, but unlike most colleagues, I simply cannot have an inbox which is filled with unread emails. I simply must read everyone of them and settle them as soon as I can.
This also is seen in the way which I handle my projects. Everything must be quickly resolved and talked through. I cannot stand it when I resolve matters and it gets stuck in the next level due to people who work slowly or take their own time to read the email only at the end of the day. You can imagine me at an irritable mood the moment I wait for half a day and get no response or approval.
The moment I laid my eyes on this verse and resigned myself to it, I sighed because I knew that it's a virtue to be slow in reaction. It prevents one from acting impulsively. I know because I normally react to situations quickly in anger, some friends react quickly in compassion or with good intentions. But often, if we pondered and deliberated, we would have done things differently.
Today, may we learn to to be attentive and allow God to calm us so we can react slowly. I truely believe that as we wait and ponder before we react, we'll react well. The bible says, we'll end up behaving righteously because we never got angry and in our anger sinned.
blessings,
M.
"They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us." (Genesis 42:21)
