Doing: Listening.

James 1:19-20
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

I love the phrasing of this passage from John. We're not told to never be angry because God realizes that's impossible as a human. There's always going to be stuff that irks us. The best thing is that he offers us practical advice on how to control our anger. Instead, we're told that "everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry..." Let's break it down:

The first thing you want to is listen to God. In other words, rush into listening. This way you can get the facts. The longer you mull over something, the more you start to change the story to make it more appealing to the listener, to God, or yourself. The fact is God knows the real story, so there's no sense in putting yourself in such a critical position.

Next, be slow to speak. When we're angry, often the worst words come out of our mouth. Last November, I did a series on "taming the tongue." The book of James loves to talk about the tongue. When you're angry, control your mouth. Wait to speak until you straighten yourself out.

Now, for the hard one. Try your best to be slow to become angry. This is going to take some work. Whenever you feel angered and bothered, slow down and take it easy. Accept the fact that you're not going to make much progress when this happens. Wait for the heat to cool inside of you. Don't let anger control your life.

As you know, anger can be detrimental toward your health. What are some ways you can prevent your anger from spiraling out of control? God, direct our listening and speaking in times of anger.