Two Ears, One Mouth Series

Two ears, one Mouth

James 1: 19-21 Lesson 6

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Have you ever heard the saying God gave you two ears and one mouth, so you should do twice as much listening as speaking? That was probably taken out of these verses here in James. Remember trials and testings are designed to make us better Christians and not bitter Christians.

There are 4 points I want us to take hold of here in this text…

1. We need to be a receptive audience. (Swift to hear)

We need to let God speak to us through His word. Trials make us a ready hearer and that might be one reason why God allows us to go through them. Sometimes we get so busy, we ignore Him and He knows how to get our attention. In the trials we need to have a listening ear. Instead of blaming God we need to be listening to God.

2. We need to be a reluctant speaker. (Slow to Speak)

I would say that it is at this time that we need to do more praying and less complaining about the condition that God allows us to be in.

If there is any time in which we need to listen to God it is at this time. God does not waste trials and He is trying to tell us something if we would just keep our ears open and our mouths closed. We need to stop going around to every saint in the state complaining and whining about our condition and listen to what God is saying to us. In fact, many times we would like to give our opinion about what is going on even before God gives us His wisdom. The fact is we don’t know what’s going on and we need to keep our mouths closed unless we know what’s going on and that will not happen until God gives us the wisdom to know what’s going on, and if we are not asking God for the wisdom in the trials we are totally ignorant of what’s going on and shouldn’t tell anyone anything about what we are going through.

3. We need to be a slow responder. (Slow to wrath)

Verse 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Not only do we oftentimes blame God for what is going on, but we get angry at Him and at others and lash out in anger and bitterness because of our lot. We need not get angry and in our needless anger forfeit righteousness. If we get angry in the trial and testing instead of seeking God’s wisdom and His word we will forfeit God’s desired work of righteousness in our lives.

Hebrews 12:11

There are too many of us who react before the wisdom is given,

and most of the time that reaction is anger. Be careful about anger in the trial.

4. We need to be a meek receiver. (Of the engrafted word)

Verse 21 wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Receive with meekness. (Explain meekness)