Our Roadmap
by Gene Zackerman
I grew up in the time of paper maps. As a kid, I particularly enjoyed the old Rand McNally Atlas of the United States. I would look up random places and envision what it might be like to travel to those places. As I became more curious regionally, I would hop on my bike and ride to the neighborhood Texaco station to pick up folding maps of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. I still have that fascination today, but, like everything else, I do my research electronically – websites, GPS. As followers of Jesus, we have a roadmap. It’s called The Bible.
One particular lesson we can learn from the Bible comes from James 1:19-20:
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
Wow, powerful, isn’t it? In my own life, I know that I am a work in progress in this area. I know that I am better than I was, but I am not what God desires me to be. I feel like it is important to continue the ongoing effort.
What do we demonstrate by being quick to listen? We send a message to the one who speaks that what he or she has to say is meaningful. It says that we value that person. Being an empathetic ear can be uplifting to the speaker.
Being slow to speak can enable us to pause and think before responding. Are we careful to articulate our thoughts out of consideration for the one who receives our responses? Are we modeling Jesus in this way? Isn’t that something that He desires from us? Remember that the world is always watching us as Christians, waiting to pounce when we fall. In Matthew 28, Jesus commissioned us to carry the Good News to the world. As we talk to people about the grace we have experienced from our Lord, being quick to listen and actually hear their story allows the Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak and plant a seed. That is our privilege AND our commission.
We can be sure that we will encounter the mockers like Jesus did. Becoming angry and confrontational in response will not reflect the righteousness that God desires from me. I believe that God desires me to witness out of love for people. I thank Him for giving me the roadmap for our lives.
