“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”
James 1:19-25
During the bitterly cold winter months, when all I want to do is wrap myself in a fuzzy blanket and stay inside, my dog Georgia saves me.
Why?
I can’t just stay inside all day. She needs to go on walks, and so she gets me outside and moving around.
Too often though, these walks are excuses for me to multitask. I listen to a podcast or make a phone call or try to answer an email. And while these are all good things on their own, sometimes they stop me from being present.
The other day, for example, my eyes were so focused on my phone screen as I replied to a text that I almost missed my neighbors getting out of their car, smiling at me and wanting to stop and see Georgia.
I don’t want to miss moments like this, to connect with other people and share smiles and show God’s love.
I want to learn to look and listen, like James reminds us in the first chapter of his book of the Bible.
I think this passage from James is familiar to many of us, but we tend to focus on the things we should be slow to do. Slow to speak, slow to become angry. These are important rules to live by, but what about the things we should be quick to do?
Quick to listen. Quick to look at ourselves first instead of judging others. Quick to look back to the law, to the Word of God, that brings us freedom.
When I’m caught up in distractions—in podcasts or Netflix or answering emails—I’m usually not very quick to look or to listen. In fact, I tend to be pretty good at ignoring the world around me, and that’s not a skill I’m proud of.
So, how can we be quick to look and listen?
In my kindergarten class, we spend a lot of time talking about self-control. Pausing and taking a breath before we speak or act. We memorized 2 Timothy 1:7 as a class: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
I believe this is also a matter of self-control. When we ask God to give us ears to listen and eyes to see the world around us, to cut through the distractions so we are quick to be present, I believe we will see a difference.
And maybe then we will start to feel that freedom that James talks about in this chapter.
God, thank you for giving us spirits of power, love, and self-control. As we learn to love others and to love You better, please help us to be quick to look and quick to listen, so we can be present in this life you’ve given us. Amen.
Never forget… you are onederfully created.
Love,
Becca
