Author: J Brad Mitchell

Quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger – this is the advice given to us in the Bible in the book of James.  This is a challenging sentence.  Quick to listen is a concept we don’t always embrace.  We sometimes listen to respond.  This means we are listening for just enough that we can come back with what we think.  We don’t actually give the person enough time to finish their thought.  We could be interrupting them so we can talk…we think we have it.  Or we think we have a story which one-ups theirs.  Listening is a skill.  We can hear all day long and never listen.  It is like the teacher on the Charlie Brown cartoons.  It is background noise.  We don’t listen because we aren’t tuned in.  And sometimes, we think we have better things to do.  Listening is an art which too few of us work at.  

But we can’t listen if we aren’t quiet, and therefore, slow to speak.  We can’t listen to respond in this case.  We don’t need to make comments.  We don’t need to offer our thoughts.  Sometimes, it is best simply to be quiet.  I like to say, if you can’t be kind, be quiet.  Or, if it isn’t your story to tell, keep your mouth shut.  Being slow to speak means we are willing to listen completely.  

The third part of this trio is to be slow to anger.  Here’s a concept we don’t often consider in our world…there are people with different opinions than our own…and that’s okay.  It doesn’t make them bad people and we can still be friends.  Unfortunately this is an election year.  I say unfortunately not because I take for granted my right to vote.  I say this because people are just mean and they let their mean face show and they are angry.  When someone doesn’t agree, they simply get angry.  This is just more pronounced during this time.  Here’s a thought…we all have brains and if God gives us one, we can use it without having to just take what someone else says.  And if we don’t agree, that’s okay too.  We can still love each other.  

But let’s be honest…we are in a time of quick to speak, don’t listen, and stay angry with anyone who doesn’t look, think, act, or vote like us.  And this is simply not what we are taught in scripture.  It’s the opposite.  

Which leads me to some of the other teachings in James.  We are taught that we should guard our tongues and let our actions speak instead.  If we let our actions speak, what we do matters.  Don’t talk about the love of Christ if you aren’t willing to share the love of Christ.  Hatred doesn’t have a place in God’s kingdom.  So we show how we love, especially in times like these.  

I have to be honest…I don’t really care who you vote for.  I want to know how you live for Jesus.  And how you live for Jesus doesn’t come around every 4 years but is a daily work.  I don’t always get it right and neither does anyone else.  But going around with hatred and anger in our hearts isn’t going to do a thing but fuel fire which is already burning up our overheated world.  

We had a “false” fall for a moment.  It was almost a tease since the summer swells come forcefully.  It’s even hot all night long.  It can be hard to run even though the sun is not shining.  The humidity just settles in like a smothering blanket.  A little breeze seems to offer a temporary reprieve, which I welcome each time.  The best, though, are these little cool air pockets that occasionally happen.  They seemingly come out of nowhere.  They are just a puff of coolness on an otherwise brutal run.  It is so refreshing it often takes me by surprise.  

Could we be that bit of cool air in someone else’s sticky day?  I don’t mean actually air conditioning.  I wonder if we could be a bit of refreshment to others who may find the day oppressive.  What might a kind word do?  How might an encouraging moment change someone’s day?  What about a smile, a kind gesture, a moment of grace?  These all could completely change the trajectory of someone’s difficult moment.  

It could sound as if this is really overstated.  But our world is often overwhelming and stifling.  It can beat us up with every turn.  Kindness really does make a huge difference.  Grace really does show up.  Friendship can be exactly what someone needs.  If we were all kind, imagine the wave of refreshment which could wash over us?  We won’t know if we don’t try.  Maybe we just find a way to be extra kind this week.  You never know what a difference you could make.  

I can’t tell you how many times this question has rolled through my mind…”What was I thinking?”  Sometimes it is prompted by those around me asking me what I was thinking.  And then, I can hear the response now (not from me)… “He wasn’t, that’s the problem.”  (Sometimes it just be like that). 

There are times when situations happen and they come out of nowhere.  I really did think through things and this is just what happened (what had happened was…).  As much as we try to plan and prepare, things can just go haywire.  And then there are times when I fly by the seat of my pants and everything goes better than expected.  

Planning is great and needed.  Sometimes quick decisions are called for and vital.  We can find ourselves in situations we didn’t plan or expect either way.  I think this is where wisdom comes in.  When we pay attention to those who offer sage advice, when we take the time to really listen to the stories of others, we can find such guidance in their words.  

That’s one of the many values of the Bible.  There have been way too many occasions I read the Bible and think… “What were they thinking?!”  They did ridiculous things and made some of the most foolish mistakes.  And then I look in the mirror.  Me too, Israelites, me too.  But we continue to learn and grow.  We listen, we pay attention, we seek guidance, and we also tune into our own experiences.  We often know the answer, even if it is buried deep within.  We learn from mistakes and we keep moving.  We don’t give up.  And we do think.  And we do try.  And we do work hard.  We just keep moving.  

Don’t let foolishness derail you.  Don’t let bad decisions keep you from seeking what is right and good.  And don’t stop taking chances.  Failure is a powerful teacher.  Wisdom is often costly.  Keep on thinking and reading and listening.  Growth is coming.

I am always amazed at how small changes can make such a large impact.  You don’t even notice when it happens.  A perspective change happens in an instant, almost in a stealth and undercover way.  This morning, it happened.

I was walking the trail and things looked different.  I have spent time on this trail and know it fairly well.  I have spent time walking intentionally, not just hurriedly passing through.  But today, my perspective changed.  The fog had settled in and decided to take a respite in the thick of the trail.  It was still absolutely beautiful as ever. But it seemed like the tide was lower or the marsh had grown substantially all of a sudden.  It was odd and caused me to pause to take it all in.  It was as if I was walking on a different trail.  After a while, I proceeded on.  Once the fog decided it was time for coffee and moved on out, it all returned to what was familiar.  Nothing had actually changed except my perspective.

When I am walking the trail on a normal day, I look out.  I admire the water and the trees which bank the shores.  I watch the egress search for food.  Minnows swim in schools and seem to grow even more.  But what I was missing was right in front of me.  I was looking beyond the present.  I was looking far off at the joys which the vast river held.  That was not a problem.  But I had missed the marsh right in front of me.  As the fog held close, my distance was obscured, forcing me to see what was right before me.  And it, too, was beautiful.  It was like staring into a new land.  It had been there all the time.

As I traveled on, I was reminded of how we do this in so many parts of our perspective.  We are so busy worrying about what is far off, what is to come, what may happen, what may be out there, that we miss all that is right before us.  We create anxiety and worry about tomorrow when today holds so many joys and celebrations.  There are so many wonders which fill our vision but we have decided to focus on what is outside of our reach, even when it is good.  A little fog can change it all.  

Today, the fog changed my perspective and I saw the joy of today.  I saw the beauty right before me.  I saw all of creation which was here and now.  I saw how today is a gift not to be bypassed for tomorrow.  Don’t miss it.  Today’s fog is pointing you to the glory before us.  Thanks be to God for fog.  

I’ve lost count on how many times I have had a new day 1.  You know…the times when you will start something new… AGAIN.  Maybe it is a weight loss program or an exercise regimen.  For some, it is stopping old habits like smoking or beginning good things like eating more fruits and vegetables.  At the beginning of the year, people call them New Year’s Resolutions.  During the year, we call them Mondays.  Monday is always the day folks pick for some reason.  Saturday is deep into the weekend, and why ruin that.  Wednesday is middle of the week and its survival mode.  So Monday seems to be the best.  But when Monday comes, we realize we really don’t like Mondays that much so we will begin on Tuesday.  And so the story continues…more times we have a day 1.  

Yet, in all of this, those are important.  No matter how many you have, the fact that you even attempt a day 1 is beautiful.  Despite past failures, we are willing to try again.  Even though we have had 3,546 other day 1 starts, we are willing to have 3,547.  This time MIGHT be the time.  If we are honest, our health is worth it.  Our mental health is worth it.  Our spiritual health is worth it.  WE ARE WORTH IT.  We are worth pushing through the challenges to find another success, no matter how small.  Maybe we only made it through a few verses of the Bible.  That’s a few more verses than we may have read yesterday.  Maybe we only walked one mile.  That’s still one more mile towards good health.  Maybe we ended up eating only one healthy meal rather than the 3 we had planned.  That’s still one more meal towards our health.  Don’t discount the small wins.  Don’t get discouraged because it hasn’t worked out in the past.  That was the PAST.  

So, if this is your new Day 1…go get em!  If you are still trying to figure it out, make tomorrow your day 1 (No, Monday doesn’t HAVE to be the day).  The point is, just keep trying.  Just keep moving forward.  Never EVER give up!  Let’s conquer this day 1!

Choices are something we are faced with every single day.  We make them, often without thinking about them.  Sometimes we don’t feel like we have a choice, but in reality, we made the choice anyway.  It can be really difficult when there are multiple options in our choices.  This is displayed in way too many households, friendships, partnerships and the like today.  It begins with a familiar and almost haunting sentence…”what do you want to eat?”  It is a question that is asked way too often, likely to end in giving up, giving in, or just settling.  I can’t imagine how many times this question is asked in a day.  Because most of us are not actually hungry, this is more of an issue of what would seemingly make us happy in the moment.  It is one of the most difficult questions because while there seems to be nothing in our cabinets, the options are way too vast.  We are spoiled.

There are some choices which are not so mundane and frivolous.  We are faced with choices of where we will work, if we should marry at all and if so, to whom, where we will live, and where we will be educated.  There choices have more consequences and outcomes are more serious.  They are still not permanent, though.  We can change jobs or move homes or go back to school for a different degree.  We may find the love of our life or find we are best alone.  They are choices of a higher caliber.  They carry more importance.

And then there are choices which make an even greater impact than all of these.  In the Bible, the leader and follower of God, Joshua, challenges the people of God – choose this day… Choose on this day… and keep choosing… Whom will you serve?  It is a simple question with consequences which affect every area of their lives.  It is a question we continue to ask ourselves today.  Whom will I serve?  All too often, the answer is me.  I will serve me.  And yet, the challenge is to serve God.  Joshua reminds the people all God has brought them through.  He reminds them how powerful God is.  He helps them to remember the faithfulness, even when they weren’t.  

To choose to serve God is a life which is full of love and compassion, which isn’t always welcomed.  It is a life of kindness and patience, self-control and joy.  But it isn’t easy.  And we must continue to choose…on a regular basis.  

In the end, our actions reflect whom we have chosen to serve.  What does your life say?  Whom do you serve?  Today, I choose the Lord.