Scripture: James 1:19-20 “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”
Devotional: In any relationship, conflict is inevitable at some point, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. In fact, healthy conflict resolution can often be a great source of growth. That is, growing in understanding of one’s self and growing in trust and intimacy with one another. As Proverbs 27:17 tells us “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
In this week’s devotions, we’ll be looking at biblical truths that will help us deal, in healthy ways, with the conflict that we face in our relationships. And how we might grow in our relationship with Christ and with others in the process.
You may have heard the old adage that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. James seems to address this as he highlights the importance of being quick to listen and slow to speak. And then he adds that we are to be slow to become angry.
If you tend to be a person with a quick fuse when it comes to anger, have you ever stopped to ask yourself why that is? Often those who are not good listeners tend to jump to conclusions, which then leads to unnecessary anger. But when you and I begin to cultivate active listening and empathy (seeing things from another person’s point of view), we can head off needless anger.
Reflect:
- Honestly assess your ability to listen well. Do you listen more than you talk? Or do you spend the time that others are talking formulating what you’re going to say? How might you apply being quick to listen and slow to speak, especially with your spouse?