Talk too much?

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:19–25)

Rarely do I see my husband angry. It used to bother me. He didn’t laugh much either. No emotions? But even in his days before Christ, this is a virtue. God says nothing good comes from anger, not that it cannot happen or be justified, but the Bible  also says: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” (Ephesians 4:26)

How can these two commands both work? One says being angry is not necessarily sin and the other says anger is not godly. A quick look at the original Greek shows two different words, The anger in Ephesians is being furious about something, sometimes rightly so, but the context warns to deal with it quickly.

James uses a different word. Anger in that passage is about rage against others, but this different word  is almost always about God’s rage. While we are capable of a righteous indignation at sin, this verse says to be slow to wrath for this is God’s department. Jesus tossed the tables of the money-changers and was angry with the Pharisees. I’m a sinner and need to remember how the pot should not call the kettle black. I can be more like the money-changers than like Jesus.

I also note that James associates not listening, or speaking too quickly, or anger with “filthiness and rampant wickedness.” That is a strong condemnation, one that most of us would not make. He also associates failure to obey in these areas with a person who knows what God wants but ignores it and ignores his failure to obey. In contrast, those who hear and obey are blessed in what they do.

It took me years to realize that the spiritual gift of teaching and the mental issue of ADHD are similar in that the teacher tends to think that knowing the truth is a mark of success, but has trouble remembering to do it. It is easier on the ego to teach it to others than admit having a problem obeying it myself. 

The ADHD person also may know a lot of things but quickly forgets or tries to appear obedient but it does not last. They are easily distracted to another task or challenge, or to do nothing. Put the two together in one person and obedience becomes a huge challenge.

Not an excuse though. James says “let every person” and that means all are to put away sin and meekly pay attention. I’m saved from sin by doing what God says, not by merely knowing what He says. Paul told the Christians at Rome:

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. (Romans 15:14)

Yet he added they needed to be reminded of a few things, one of them to be obedient to the Spirit of God. He also wrote to the church at Corinth with a warning:

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. (1 Corinthians 8:1–2)

Just because they knew about the food issue was not the same as obeying it. Perhaps James said “let every person” because he knew that all of us struggle with the same thing. It is easy to know it and even to teach it or preach it to others, but quite another to actually walk the talk.

Jesus, I know these truths but must confess that I’m not always doing what I know. You are able to change my heart, make me more aware and quicker to action, enabling me to be more like You.