James 1:19 reminds us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. It’s fantastic advice but are we living by it? I have been the exact opposite of this verse, at times. I’m not listening but quickly firing back or just reacting anyway. You can so quickly fire off a reactionary text or email or comment that you didn’t think through or even pray about first. Let’s slow it on down friends! Have you actually listened? Have you asked questions in an attempt to understand? Or, have you quickly jumped to conclusions? Do we cut people off before they can fully communicate a sentence? I’ve been thinking about how easy it is to react emotionally to something and jabber on about it. First question we should ask before reacting is, “Did I listen?” Another question is, “Should I be saying what I’m about to say”? A third is, “Am I angry”? Because if you are, you really need to step back. I’ve been guilty of reacting too quickly to things that irk me! And it’s not good for those listening and can easily create unnecessary problems. Let’s be patient in our relationships and care for each other enough to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Have a great weekend all! ~~ Bill