James 1:19-20; 26
My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done.
If you think you are being religious, but can't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and everything you do is useless.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Sporting events provide a good arena to observe human nature. Some people are what one could describe as “fair weather” fans. They are ready to yell and cheer when their team is winning. When things slow down or the team lags behind, the fans start visiting with one another, or sitting with their hands folded in their laps… or talking/texting on their phones. But let something exciting or “big” happen on the field or court, and the fans jump to their feet as if they had been wholeheartedly following the game all along.
There are also fans who cannot seem to control themselves. Many are well-meaning… even parents or relatives and friends of team members. But they get so caught up in their own emotions that they lose sight of the bigger picture, it seems. They are quick to anger… and nothing is ever their team’s fault. It’s always the referees… or the coaches… or the other guy! The same people who faithfully fill a pew each Sunday in a local church (or maybe even lead a Bible study or Sunday-school class!) are the very same people who jump from their seats to yell and scream – or even curse or speak in a derogatory manner – at or about those involved in a sporting event!
We do this in all areas of life. We talk one way and act another. We are “fair-weather Christians” who get on the bandwagon when something exciting happens. We wave our hands and sing along at a Christian rock concert or even during praise and worship on Sunday morning. Then we lash out in anger… at family, friends, co-workers, and even people we don’t know who drive alongside us. We are quick to criticize and judge others… never recognizing that when you point one finger at someone else, three more are cocked in our own direction. We rock along with our hands in our lap… then when a crisis occurs, we open our Bibles, start praying – and for some - dare to darken the doors of a church sanctuary for the first time in weeks/months/years!
I know these things happen, because I do some of them, too. We need to pay attention to these verses in James… and we need to examine our behavior at every turn. I know we all think snappy comebacks are cool… but many of us would do well to stop and think a little bit about what we are going to say before we speak. Words spoken in anger and frustration are hard to retract – and often very hurtful and unbecoming.
If we spent a little more time being a fulltime Christian instead of a “fair-weather” participant, we might have a better shot at keeping our behaviors in check… along with our anger and our judgments. And… more of the good things of God’s kingdom might actually get done in the process. Isn’t it surely worth a shot?!
©2011 Debbie Robus
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