Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…. James 1:19 (ESV)

I rarely post from biblical scripture, but I think this particular scripture is something that I’ve personally dealt with at times. And I was reminded of it when a good friend of mines talked with me late last week. Essentially, it is important to listen quickly, speak carefully and hold back your anger. For some time now, I never really understood why so many people had something to say about your life, but had little to no control over theirs. The answer was simple. Folks didn’t adhere to this scripture or at least didn’t understand the reasoning behind it. I think it is important to listen to what others are saying through verbal communication and actual behaviors. A friend of a friend passed away recently through suicide and looking back on my interactions with this person, I would have listen more to him. At a glance, he was out going, funny and witty. However, he was covering up a lot of hurt and mental issues inside. I think if we pay more attention to others and not our own situations, the world would be a better place. Secondly, this scripture refers to speaking slowly. This one hits home with me because I have seen first-hand where others quickly speak about situations or others without full knowledge of an accident. And with this quick speaking, it caused a lot of hurt. Don’t get me wrong, I think is cool to have a great conversation, but I am learning to curtail my topics on subjects of usefulness and sustenance. Lastly, this scripture speaks on being slow to anger. I’ve witnessed great people with a lot of money and education become irate because of something that a person may have done wrong just because of their status. Recently, I have come to experience those same high society people treating others in the direct opposite manner. The difference between these two groups was the fact of longevity in wealth and in good relationships. The first group was those who were only concern about their wealth, but were new to it. The second group was those who were accustomed to their wealth because they had it for a long period of time. I have found that being slow to anger not only helps you be a good person, but also keep you being successful. All in all, I think this scripture helps a lot of people achieve greater levels of success regardless of your religious background.

~ Dr. Ronnie O'Brien Rice

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