Following the Speed Limit

Have you ever received a speeding ticket? I am sorry to say that I have received more than one. I will never forget the first one I received. I was a teenager on my way back home and driving through a notorious “speed trap.” I was cheerily driving along at 57 miles per hour, “only” two miles above what I thought was the speed limit. My problem was that I did not know that the speed limit had decreased from 55 to 35.

The blue and red lights in my rear-view mirror caught my attention. I dutifully pulled over and greeted the police officer, produced my license, registration, and proof of insurance. The officer who pulled me over asked me if I knew how fast I was going. I nonchalantly responded, “I don’t know…maybe 50? 55?” He informed me that I was going 57 miles per hour. I simply replied, “Okay,” not aware of my error. He then let me know, “I’ll be right back,” and he was right back, with an expensive memento from our brief time together.

I learned two things that day. First, speeding was more expensive than I realized. Second, it is important to closely follow the speed limit. Disregarding the posted speed limit can not only be dangerous, but it can be deadly.

Swift to Hear, Slow to Speak

The book of James guides us on the ‘speed limit’ of our hearing, our speech, and our temper.

James 1:19-20 “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.”

The Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus is attributed the saying, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” But this wisdom did not originate with him. The same principle can be found throughout God’s Word.

• “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” Proverbs 10:19
• “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.” Proverbs 15:28
• “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Proverbs 18:13
• “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.” Ecclesiastes 5:2

Think Before You Speak

I must admit that I can be guilty of being swift to speak at times. Many is the time I have said something, and then later that day (or lying in bed at night) I find myself asking myself, “Why did I say that? That was unnecessary.” I have learned that thinking before I speak is a useful habit to cultivate in my communication. It saves me (and others) a lot of trouble. 

The truth is that I do not have any unique wisdom. Spreading my own message brings very little value. However, when I spread the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it has eternal value. When I speak a word of encouragement, exhortation, or edification, I am helping to build up the body of Christ. We uplift one another by lifting up the name of Christ.

Caution: Use Your Tongue Wisely

Being slow to speak is not enough. We should also use our speech wisely, knowing the potential damage that it can do. If we are quick to wrath and our anger boils over such that we sin with our tongue, we damage our testimony. James talks about the tongue as well.

James 3:6-10 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

Be Ready to Listen

Swift to hear is more than simply speaking less and listening more, although that is part of it. It means being willing to take the time to listen to those with whom we interact, be it our friends, family, pastor, and others in our life who can provide us with wise counsel.

We gain wisdom from listening to godly influences in our lives.

• “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; And a man of understanding shall attain until wise counsels:” Proverbs 1:5
• “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: But he that hearkeneth until counsel is wise.” Proverbs 12:15
• “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.” Proverbs 19:20

The Source of Wisdom

The ultimate source of true wisdom is listening to God through His Word.

• “I will hear what God the LORD will speak: For he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: But let them not turn again to folly.” Psalm 85:8
• “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” John 10:27
• “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the fight hand, and when ye turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21
• “The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.” Proverbs 15:31

Of course, we will not benefit from the wisdom that we receive from God’s Word and from others if we do not take the time to put that wisdom into practice through our obedience. We must humbly yield control of our lives and submit to God’s will.

Slow to Wrath

Not only can we be slow to listen and swift to speak, but we can also be swift ‘to wrath’ — to fly off the handle and lose our temper. This word ‘wrath’ is sometimes translated ‘anger.’ When we yield control to our emotions rather than yielding control to the Spirit of God that lives within us, we are acting in our sinful flesh, attempting to satisfy our own sense of righteousness rather than God’s righteousness. If we allow our emotions to run our lives, they will ruin our lives. Therefore, we must be slow to wrath.

Many times we lose our temper over mere trifles in the grand scheme of things. Someone cuts us off in traffic. We stub our toe leaving our bedroom in the morning. Other times, we can become what we consider to be righteously indignant at the injustices we see in the world around us. But when we believe that our merely getting angry is the solution, we are making a mistake. God’s Word is clear that our wrath — our anger — does not work the righteousness of God.

When we are slow to anger, we are reflecting the character of God. Six times in the Old Testament God is described as “slow to anger” (Nehemiah 9:17, Psalm 103:8, Psalm 145:8, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2, and Nahum 1:3). The book of Proverbs also speaks of the wisdom of being slow to anger.

Proverbs 15:18: “A wrathful man stirrers up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.”

Proverbs 16:32: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.”

Which would you think is easier: conquering your temper, or conquering a city? The answer might surprise you.

Travel Safely

I pay much more attention when I am driving than I did when I was a teenager, especially to the speed limit and other helpful road signs. We all encounter these signs along our journey, whether they be along the road or the road of life. These signs are meant to keep us safe, to make us aware of potential dangers, and we would do well to take notice of them and obey them.

God’s Word is faithful to guide us, but we must obey the truth it contains. Knowing this, we should follow God’s Word and be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.

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About Michael Pack

READ: Joy on the Journey

Joy on the Journey