...Let Every Man ...

So, then my beloved brethren,

let every man be swift to hear,

slow to speak, slow to wrath;

                    

                              James 1:19


 swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath

to me this means be eager to listen, am i always eager to listen?
i can not say that i have always been eager to listen 100%, much less slow to speak.  let us just say that i suffer sometimes from
footinthemouth itis... :) 

as a matter of fact, some friends and family enjoy my footinthemouth itis.  some have actually gotten upset that i am trying to be careful of what i say.  they insist.. do not think, just say.  

does trying to be careful about what you say in anyway diminish what you are saying?  i do not believe it does, nor does it mean it is not from the heart.  but what do i know? 

slow to wrath, that is a big one for me.  i have been around individuals who are quick to anger who i know are those most caring individuals that i know.  i have seen slow angered people that do not care about anything other than themselves.  i have seen quick who also do not care about others, and slow angered people that are some of the most caring individuals that i know. 

we come in all different sizes, shapes, forms and temperaments.
what does it mean? it means to me, that we are all different and handle situations differently.  at what point does handling one situation becomes better than the other. sometimes we are not at our best, sometimes we excel, sometimes we just barely get by.  

Lord, help us learn the difference of knowing when we need to respond, and learn to know how to respond appropriately. let us be quickly when we need to be and slow when we need to be, guide us in our everyday actions.  may we all grow in wisdom and knowledge.  Amen