January 7 - Daily Devotion | Spiritual Maturity
"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. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls." James 1:19-21 NLT
We need to know what Jesus Christ sees in our lives - and He tells us in His Word. Jesus is the Word and He meets us right where we are with the perfect word for our heart.
With spiritual maturity comes the recognition of the wisdom found in James 1:19, "Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to grow angry." A directive curtailing impulsive reckless behavior, undercutting Satan's desires and method. Satan uses impulsivity and pride against God's people. He wants Christians to make impulsive prideful decisions that are not rooted in wisdom, so that the outcome is destruction and not godly edification.
But God gives us a command that provides us with the ability to overcome -
"Listen to the Word of God and understand in order to live it out. For faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God - Romans 10:17. Listen to what is being said by those around you and see the reason for the words and identify the need. Be slow to speak - slow to teach the word of God for there is greater judgment for teachers - James 3:1. Recognize the responsibility. Be like Jeremiah, he had to speak when the word was burning in his heart - Jeremiah 20:9. Be slow to speak in conversation and measure your words, for in the abundance of words sin is found - Proverbs 10:19. Hurtful words are hard to forget. Slow measured speech saves relationships, societies, businesses, and churches. Be slow to grow angry when God in His word points out your sin. Humbly receive His correction and repent, turning away from that sin, knowing that the God who is Love, loves you and wants what is best for you - for you to excel in life. His correction saves souls. Be slow to grow angry when around others. Human anger often stems from expectations and self-entitlement, while righteous anger comes from the Lord identifying unjust actions that are harmful. When you are slow to grow angry, your patience keeps you from sinning in anger - preventing greater destruction."
God gives us a command in His word because He knows Satan's agenda, as Satan had to ask Him first - Job 1:9-12. And Satan's goal is to draw people away from a pure devotion to Jesus Christ in any way he can, tempting people to sin to start a negative domino effect of corruption destroying the church - the people of God. Jesus, the Word made flesh, is the way, the truth and the life - John 14:6. The only way to God the Father, and the only way to overcome Satan's subtle manipulative strategies.
When you repent of the sin Jesus Christ points out to you and remove the evil in your life, accepting the word He has planted in your heart, you are humbling yourselves before Him submitted unto His Sovereignty.
The word of God alone has the power to save souls, for it is Jesus Christ. Obedience to it saves a soul from Satan's desired destruction. Truly, the word of God is the strongest source of stability for your mind in this evil world that we live in.
Today, will you be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to grow angry - seeing how you will benefit in the long run?
Prayer: Abba, please fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to grow angry. In Jesus' name, Amen.
For more about spiritual maturity, see Dr. Alysa VanderWeerd's book, Revival of the Hearts
