“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. … If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” James 1:19-20, 26

It was a long week.  Anytime I have to teach on anger and the necessity of keeping your mouth shut, I just know it’s going to be a long week of trials and temptations!  Teaching through the book of James is tough work!

Friends, acquaintances, and random people irritated me all week-long, bless them, and I did pretty well… until 10:30 pm the night before class, when I finally snapped.  And I did it in an email where several other people got a glimpse of my not-so-pretty heart.  Sigh.

I walked into class with a heavy heart.  I took a poll and discovered that I wasn’t the only one who struggled and offended others during the week.  We paused, and everyone made a mental note of whom they had hurt.

We read in James 5:16 that we are to “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”  So we sat in small groups and did just that.

We prayed Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me…” because we’ve already discussed that the problem with the mouth starts in the heart! “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34

In closing we studied Romans 12:17-18. “Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Thank you ladies, for your honesty and humor.  I pray that those you have offended would be as gracious and merciful as my wounded friends have been to me this week.  Courage!