Slow to become angry 慢慢动怒
Dexu Xia
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19 James 1:19-27
Today's Insights When James warns that believers in Jesus should be “slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (1:19-20), the context suggests he has in mind angry outbursts. Instead of lashing out at someone in anger, believers ought to be “quick to listen, slow to speak” (v. 19). Outbursts of anger fall short of “the righteousness that God desires” (v. 20). It’s impossible to aim at how God wishes us to live our lives if our tempers are leading our behavior. Instead, we ought to humbly depend on Him and His standards for a life of service (vv. 21, 25). James even goes so far as to say that “those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless” (v. 26).
Today's Devotional Reflecting on why people tend to be entirely convinced they’re right—even when they’re not—author Julia Galef suggests that it has to do with a “soldier mindset”—where we’re focused on defending what we already believe against what we see as threats. Galef argues a more helpful mindset is that of a scout—someone focused not primarily on eliminating threats but on seeking the complete truth: comprehending “what’s really there as honestly and accurately as you can, even if it’s not pretty or convenient or pleasant.” People with this outlook have the humility to continually grow in understanding.
Galef’s insights bring to mind James’ encouragement that believers adopt a similar mindset—one where they’re “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). Instead of being driven by knee-jerk reactions to others, James urges believers in Jesus to remember that human anger doesn’t lead to God’s righteousness (v. 20). Growth in wisdom is only possible through humble submission to His grace (v. 21; see Titus 2:11-14).When we remember that each moment of our lives is dependent on God’s grace—not on us—we can let go of a need to always be right. And we can rely on His leading for how to live and care well for others (James 1:25-27).
Reflect & Pray What examples have you seen of a spirit of humble willingness to learn and change? How can you cultivate a willingness to learn from others?
Dear God, please help me to surrender the need to always be right in exchange for the gift of unending learning as I journey with You.
今日经文：你们各人要快快地听，慢慢地说，慢慢地动怒。（雅各书1章19节）
今日心得 当雅各警告信耶稣的人“不要轻易发怒，因为人的怒气不能成就神的义”（1:19-20）时，上下文表明他指的是某人愤怒的爆发。信徒不应该愤怒地向别人发怒，而应该“快快听，慢慢说”（19 节）。发怒不能成就“神所期望的义”（20 节）。如果我们的脾气主导着我们的行为，就不可能按照神希望我们过的生活来生活。相反，我们应该谦卑地依靠神和神的标准来过服侍主的生活（21、25 节）。雅各甚至说：“那些自认为虔诚却不控制舌头的人是自欺欺人，他们的虔诚毫无价值”（26 节）。
今日灵修 作者反思了为何人们往往相信自己完全是对的（即使事实并非如此），他认为这与“士兵心态”有关——我们专注于捍卫我们已经相信的东西，对抗我们所看到的威胁。作者认为，更积极的心态是侦察兵的心态，一个人主要的关注不是消除威胁，而是寻求完整的真相：尽可能诚实准确地理解“真正存在的东西，即使它并不美好、不方便或不愉快”。有这种观点的人有谦逊的态度，能够不断地加深理解。 作者的见解让人想起雅各鼓励信徒采取类似的心态，“快快听，慢慢说，慢慢动怒”（雅各书 1:19）。雅各敦促耶稣的信徒不要被对他人的下意识反应所驱使，而是要记住，人的怒气不会成全上帝的正义（第 20 节）。只有谦卑地顺服上帝的恩典，智慧才能增长（第 21 节；参见提多书 2:11-14）。 当我们记住生命中的每一刻都依赖于上帝的恩典——而不是我们自己——我们就可以放弃总是正确的需要。我们可以依靠他的领导来生活和照顾他人（雅各书 1:25-27）。
反思和祈祷 你见过哪些谦卑地愿意学习和改变的精神的例子？你如何培养向他人学习的意愿？
亲爱的上帝，请帮助我放弃自己总是正确的需要，以此换取与你同行时不断学习的礼物。