Be Slow To Speak

James 1:19 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:"

A very quick reminder today that we must disconnect the flesh from the mind in order to serve the Lord in righteousness.  The godly man has put his flesh under subjection to the will of God and lives his life through the mind (Acts 20:19; Phil. 2:5; Rom. 7:25).  In Proverbs we are told that he that does not control his spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls (Prov. 25:28).  Meaning that he is vulnerable to the attacks of sin be it in the form of the devil, the world, or his own lust and is defenseless against them.

There are many emotions that cause us to become rash in our actions and decisions.  There is anger, jealousy, fear, bitterness, and all manner of insecurity.   One great way to live with these emotions and not be subject to their desires is to be "slow to speak."  

Often people say "I said it because that's what I was thinking."  Well, there is no law that says we are to say everything in our minds and I believe that the action of speaking what is in your mind makes the thought that much more real and right to you.  Having a thought is one thing but when we verbalize the thought it becomes more concrete in the mind.  

Be slow to speak; analyze the thought before you speak.  Scrutinize your thinking and allow the Spirit of God to approve the thought or rebuke it.

Have a great day!