James 1 - 5.24.2024

Scripture - Pick one verse that stood out to you.

James 1:19-20
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 

Observation - What about this verse stands out to you?

‘How did he know?’, was what I kept asking myself as grandpa Hector, my wife’s grandfather and eventually my own, finished telling his story. Grandpa had been lamenting getting into a physical altercation over a parking spot.

“For what, mijo(son)??? It was over, nothing — nothing,” grandpa lamented as he struggled to get into his chair. “It’s not worth it mijo, just let it go,” he continued, as I continued to wonder how the Holy Spirit knew to prompt my grandpa to share this story with me as I walked into his house that afternoon.

Application - How will you apply this to your life?

So many of my worst stories begin, “I remember getting so angry that…” Lord Jesus, I don’t want to add to that list anymore. I still remember that day when I was ready to get into a shouting match (possibly more) over a rude honk-his-horn-maniac as I was struggling to search for directions on my hands free gps. And the story grandpa shared with me I know, I just know, goes with James 1 19-20. I still marvel that even before I shared my day with him that day, grandpa knew to share a story which exemplified the ‘be slow to anger because you suck when you are angry’ theme of the above verse.

For my life application, I would like to in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit, not get angry with my co-workers today, as they are doing who knows what besides their job. 

Prayer - Write out a prayer.

Lord, take the frustration and anger out of me today. And tomorrow. And the day after. And forever. Help me not to be a person ruled by anger and daily frustrations. Definitely help me to see that my human anger is a pitiful gauge for your perfect love and justice. I know this can only be accomplished by an act of supernatural Holy Spirit fueled power because I have struggled with this for so long. Help me to ‘let it go’ as grandpa once, and continues to through that story, shared with me. Turn me into a person who is slow to anger, so slow, that it’s like the anger is hardly there any more. Thank you, Lord.

In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.

-kenneth lee