I was having a discussion with some of my friends on Facebook and it led me to this scripture, James 1:19 and it reads “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;”
So I copied it in my comment and and continued on with my conversation. Now to me this is a loaded scripture depending on your personality type. I’m not easily angered…so slow to anger, check. I’ve learned and am still learning to be slow to speak, most times now its the facial expressions that get me, however they communicate a message as well. So not quite a check and when I feel provoked I can have a sharp tongue. HOWEVER this “quick to hear”…hmmm. In most versions it reads “swift to listen” so sometimes when you have some of the more uncommonly used terms in the Bible one can read but not absorb. Then you come across the New American Standard Bible, the I’m going to put it in as plain of English as I possibly can so you don’t miss what you are supposed to do version of the Bible. Things start to read a little different.
So back to my point, “QUICK to HEAR” and slow to do everything else. In essence attentively HEAR what has been said first. Yeah, so I am good at a lot of things but I’m not so sure I am the greatest at this. How about you? If we heard one another better do you think the latter parts of the scripture would become easier. For example, if you actually stopped what you were doing so that you could HEAR what your teenager was saying, would you have to get so upset when they bring home a bad grade? If you actually made it a priority to hear what your husband or wife felt right away, quickly heard what they were saying, would some of the issues be resolved by positive actions before negative feelings began to fester? If you stopped thinking of your rebuttal while the other person was speaking and just took that time to be quick to hear what they were saying….You get my point.
The word quick by The Free Dictionary Online is defined as
quick (kwk)
adj. quick·er, quick·est
1. Moving or functioning rapidly and energetically; speedy.
2. Learning, thinking, or understanding with speed and dexterity; bright: a quick mind.
3.
a. Perceiving or responding with speed and sensitivity; keen.
b. Reacting immediately and sharply: a quick temper.
4.
a. Occurring, achieved, or acquired in a relatively brief period of time: a quick rise through the ranks; a quick profit.
b. Done or occurring immediately: a quick inspection. See Synonyms at fast1.
5. Tending to react hastily: quick to find fault.
n
2. The most personal and sensitive aspect of the emotions.
4. The vital core; the essence: got to the quick of the matter.
adv. quicker, quickest
Quickly; promptly.
And the word hear as
quick (kwk)
adj. quick·er, quick·est
1. Moving or functioning rapidly and energetically; speedy.
2. Learning, thinking, or understanding with speed and dexterity; bright: a quick mind.
3.
a. Perceiving or responding with speed and sensitivity; keen.
b. Reacting immediately and sharply: a quick temper.
4.
a. Occurring, achieved, or acquired in a relatively brief period of time: a quick rise through the ranks; a quick profit.
b. Done or occurring immediately: a quick inspection. See Synonyms at fast1.
5. Tending to react hastily: quick to find fault.
6. Archaic
a. Alive.
b. Pregnant.
n.
1. Sensitive or raw exposed flesh, as under the fingernails.
2. The most personal and sensitive aspect of the emotions.
3. The living: the quick and the dead.
4. The vital core; the essence: got to the quick of the matter.
adv. quicker, quickest
Quickly; promptly.
By those two definitions are we succeeding in being “Quick To Hear”? If we made this our practice would it alleviate misunderstandings? Would being quick to hear make relationships stronger? More importantly would it help us to then be slow to speak and anger? Because the next line warns us that “20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” Does that mean that being angry is unrighteous in and of itself or that anger can deter, take over or change where you could be in your life?
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