James 1:19

You know this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Now everyone must be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

How many of us can't stop until we hear the bell ring? How many of us, no matter what have to get in the last word? I for one know that I hate losing a fight of any kind. Sometimes we need to be the center of attention, all eyes on us. But never do we think maybe sitting on the sidelines we can learn a lot from watching, listening and keeping our mouths shut! Easier said than done,

I know! I feel like James is talking directly to me when I read this verse. James the brother of Jesus must've had to bite his tongue quite a lot before he knew his older brother was the messiah! In fact he wasn't even a follower of Jesus during his earthly ministry, it wasn't until the resurrection of Christ, that James became a believer.

This I believe is one of the reasons James wrote a verse like this, reflecting on his past and wishing he would've been quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. My challenge to you all is to repeat this verse in your head the next time you are faced with confrontation, or anytime you can step aside and simply just listen. Give it all to God and win or lose you will always come out on top.