Speakers’ Corner
Named after Speakers’ Corner in London, this is where our Editors at different ages and stages of life encourage and spur on those of our shared inheritance. Join us here as we contemplate the Word at work in our daily lives.
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Slow to Anger, Part II
My husband and I live in a congested city in a house that’s over 100 years old. It’s a brick house, built to last. It’s got a lot of character. Translation: it’s really great to look at, but something is always in need of repair. Water has found its way into the house in at least four different locations. Pipes have broken, and water has pooled up in the basement as well. The back stoop steps are leaning sideways, and the doorknobs are almost daily falling off the doors and into the floor. The house demands our attention.
Slow to Anger, Part 1
In Romans 14:19, Paul writes, “So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” What if everyone I encountered today followed that law? What if at least I did? Why is peace so difficult to maintain? Why are the people I care for the most often the hardest to get along with? What are we to do when we disagree?
Slow to Speak
“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). Oh, the power of our words! We’ve all been subject at some time in our lives to words that cut like a knife. And we’ve all watched with regret as our own words hurt someone as deeply as any weapon. James calls our tongue “a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” How we long to be the perfect man he speaks of that “does not stumble in what he says.” Yes, if we care about our relationships, we will have to learn to be “slow to speak” (James 1:19).
Quick to Hear
In the first article in this series, we established that the Bible is the most important tool in our toolbox for improving our relationships. The next piece of equipment we need? A mirror. When I am serious about working toward better relationships, the first place to start and the only element I can control is myself. In this and the next three articles, we will look to improve ourselves using as a guide James 1:19, “let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”
Created In His Image
I just checked, and a search on Amazon for “Improving” and “Relationships,” brings over 10,000 results! Apparently, there’s quite a market for people looking to improve their relationships.