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by Logan Ames

When I was a child who didn’t want to pay any attention to my parents or other authority figures in my life, I would occasionally be told the same thing I’m willing to bet many of you were told as well: “God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen!” In my sarcastic mind, I wanted to respond, “How come God didn’t make me care?” When someone comes down on you for not listening, the issue isn’t that you can’t physically hear them; it’s that you couldn’t possibly care less about what they are saying. Generally, it’s because you are more focused on yourself and whatever you desire in that moment. The older we get, the more easily we can fake it and at least give the impression that we are listening to someone even when we honestly do not care about what they are saying. But God’s Word tells us that listening more and talking less is not only the mark of a believer but also the easiest path to harmony and peace.

In James 1:19-20, the writer addresses a topic that has plagued humanity from the very beginning of the human race, to the beginning of the Christian church, to the present time. Remember that the Book of James is widely considered to be the first one written, chronologically speaking, in the entire New Testament. It was written to the earliest believers who were all Jews that had been scattered. Anger stemming from the unwillingness to listen was a problem for them, just as it was a problem for the very first family of all mankind. In Genesis 3:12, Adam blames Eve for causing their downfall by eating the forbidden fruit (even though Adam was responsible for telling his wife what God had commanded). I’m generally assuming that there was anger when he blamed her because it typically accompanies blame in our lives, though I do admit Scripture does not say that. However, in the very next chapter and with the very next generation of human beings, we see that the son of Adam and Eve, Cain, “was very angry and his face was downcast” over the fact that God accepted his brother Abel’s offering and not his (Genesis 4:4-5). From those early moments on, anger has been a part of our world and the way we relate to one another.

James considered it enough of a concern in the early church that he decided to specifically address it in his letter and call their attention to it: “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” (James 1:19-20). It’s easy to look at these verses and then try to will ourselves to do better in these areas, but a true change would require us to get to the heart of the matter. The best way we can learn to be slow to become angry is by first listening more and talking less. If you think about it, when we are quick to become angry it is most often because we are focused on ourselves and OUR feelings or expectations. Listening to others and refraining from talking are two ways to practice being focused on others. James understands what our natural sinful inclination is, yet he’s telling them that one mark of a brother or sister in Christ is that they are “slow to become angry."

The old saying is actually TRUE; God does give us two ears that are always open and one mouth that actually hides the tongue which we need in order to speak. I don’t believe this is a coincidence. If we use these gifts accordingly, we’ll be much more likely to be slow to anger. But the next verse is where James tells us WHY we should be slow to become angry. The words “human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” have always jumped off the page at me. I was taught growing up that there is such a thing as “righteous anger." The Bible supports this. Jesus could certainly be described as “angry” when he cleared the temple courts and overturned the tables that people were using to conduct business in the Father’s house in John 2:13-17, and Paul quotes Psalm 4:4 when he says, “In your anger, do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26). I don’t believe the apostle would give this command if it were impossible to keep it.

The question, then, is what constitutes righteous anger? I can assure you that probably 99% of the times that “righteous” anger was pointed out to me growing up, it certainly was not righteous. Many times, we think that because we are Christians and something about sinners angers us, our anger is RIGHTEOUS. We lazily and carelessly pretend that God feels the same way we do about things. This unfortunate attitude is spreading like wildfire right now in our country on BOTH sides of the political divide. Conservatives think their anger toward liberals is justified because they’ve already labeled and condemned them as heathens for the policies to which they adhere that don’t line up with Biblical truth. Liberals think their anger toward conservatives is justified because there is no way in their minds that God would be okay with guns, border security and immigrant deportation, forcing women to birth children that have already been conceived, or people being unable to afford healthcare or education. The reaction of anger from each side to the other, and then considering it “righteous anger," pains me greatly because of Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." When are we going to accept and live knowing that, regardless of how sure of ourselves we are, GOD DOES NOT THINK LIKE WE DO?

James clearly says that “human” anger does not produce righteousness (James 1:20). Because of this, I’ve struggled with whether it is even possible for us to have righteous anger. James didn’t specify with “unrighteous” human anger. He just refers to anger which is “human” in nature and leaves it at that. I’ve wondered how someone can have righteous anger when they are not righteous. As I go back to the example of Jesus and the words of Paul, I must still conclude that righteous anger is possible for the believer. But we MUST understand that most of the anger we justify as righteous is not so. True righteous anger cannot be “human” and cannot come from within us; it must come from God through the Holy Spirit who guides us. This is why he also said we must be SLOW to become angry combined with being quick to listen and slow to speak. In other words, we cannot have anger that is truly righteous without taking the time to consider its source before opening our mouths.

We should always ask several questions before expressing anger over something that our gut tells us is a righteous cause: 1) Am I sure my view is in agreement with God’s and His Word? 2) Even if God’s Word is clear on this subject, is there anything extra that I’ve chosen to make personal? 3) Does God want me to speak up about it right now? 4) How can I speak the truth in love? That is not an exhaustive list of questions but they are good ones to ask nonetheless. If we do not take the time to reflect and just carelessly assume we are right in God’s eyes, we will almost certainly do more damage and throw gasoline on fires that don’t need any more of it. Human beings must tread carefully when choosing to speak for God.

In the last verse for this section, James tells us to “get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (James 1:21). This requires action because evil does not go away on its own. We have to be willing to attack our sin with the same vigor that we attack that which we feel is unrighteous in others. James says the only way we can truly receive God’s Word is to do so “humbly." This means we can’t assume we have cornered the market on what God thinks and what He says. And the more we fill up our lives and minds with other “filth," the less likely we are to be thinking clearly when the anger sharks are swimming. This concept goes back to Cain as well. God told him, “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7). Cain allowed himself to be filled with evil and his anger ended up destroying him. If we allow ourselves to be filled with God’s Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, then anger and any other emotion that flows out of us will not be “human” in nature, but RIGHTEOUS. Be humble today and receive His truth.

Like Logan’s writings? You can purchase his book Heroes of the Faith here!

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