SOAP Devotional 2014-02-13
Scripture – Observation – Application – Prayer
Scripture:
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. (James 1:19, 20 NLT)
Observation:
This scripture would have us to understand not only that human anger does not produce the kind of people God desires us to be, but it also speaks of how anger can happen so easily. Often anger is the result of acting hastily without taking time to really hear what is actually going on and then speaking out of turn based on limited hearing resulting in a quick temper.
Application:
We need to listen to others and hear them out before jumping to conclusions that end in angry outburst on our part. Sometimes it can be that the other person's thoughts are based on misunderstandings that could be put to ease if we just took the time to carefully explain our viewpoint. If reasoning is slow in getting through, then we need to be even slower in our anger so that we can remain in control of ourselves. Stop, listen, carefully speak, use self control. Repeat the process as many times as it takes. This can work toward producing the kind of righteousness God wants in us. If you mess up, fess up, and start again.
Prayer:
Lord, I wish I could say that I never mess up in this area, but it is not true yet. Just yesterday, I responded harshly to someone doing something wrong online and had to apologize for not heeding the instructions of this passage. Help me to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry so my life would be more pleasing in your sight.
