W.A.I.T.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 

26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 

James 1:19-20, 26 NLT

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
James 3:7-10 NLT

I wonder how many of us do the opposite of our text for today - are we slow to listen (if at all), quick to speak, and quick to get angry? How often do people NOT take the time to listen? How often is it because they're already angry and running at the mouth?  Oh, that we would adhere to the wisdom found in God's Word. 

Pastor Robert Morris offers a great acronym to help us remember to not be quick to speak. It's WAIT.  The acronym is two-fold - yes, wait to talk, that's obvious. The acronym as a double reminder stands for Why Am I Talking? Do you think God gave us two ears and only one mouth so we'd do twice as much listening?

Prayer:

Father,

          Put Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth. Help me, Father, to bridle my tongue and put my ears to good use. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen