Others-Centered

James 1:19
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Blue letter Bible study insights
a. Slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God: In light of the nature of temptation and the goodness of God, we must take special care to be slow to wrath, because our wrath does not accomplish the righteousness of God. Our wrath almost always simply defends our own agenda.
b. Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: We can learn to be slow to wrath by first learning to be swift to hear and slow to speak. So much of our anger and wrath comes from being self-centered not others-centered. Swift to hear is a way to be others-centered. Slow to speak is a way to be others-centered.
My 2 cents
I don’t know about you but I can get ANGRY. The above mentions wrath almost always defends our own agenda. I am someone that wants to be about my Fathers business. So I want His agenda NOT MY SELFISH agenda. Even my anger is selfish and needs be laid down before the Lord. We have to fight the me me me mentality. If we truly see everyone we come in contact with as better than myself then we won’t be so self centered fleshly desire. If we see ourselves as a servant to all we will treat everyone we come in contact with WELL. We have to wake up and realize it isn’t all about us. It is all about HIM. When Christ went to the cross and died for our sins to give us a bridge to eternity with Him. What if he didn’t go to the cross? …because what needed to be done would cause him torture. That is the most others-centered thing anyone could ever do. We are to be like Him. So we are called to die to our selfish desires for the sake of the calling to live as He lived. The Bible says they will know us by our love. So if we are angry and spew that anger we are being SELFISH. He is calling us to listen more and speak less. When we speak we are to show wisdom. The only way we get that is through the Lord. The bible also says we are to go to Him and ask for wisdom and HE WILL GIVE IT. Proverbs 2:6 says For the Lord gives Wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge AND understanding.
Dont we want people to be blessed by our presence and appreciate the atmosphere we carry with us into a room because its beautiful and peaceful. I sure don’t want people to dread every time I speak because of hatefulness and anger. Let’s challenge us to be atmosphere changers of love joy and peace.
Prayer
Lord help me be so OTHERS-CENTERED that when I speak it builds the bridges of knowledge and understanding. Help my insecurities and self-centeredness diminish so you can increase in me and through me. Help my ONLY agenda be YOUR agenda. Give me wisdom and a love for others the way you love them. For when I truly love others the way you do I will treat them differently even when my flesh may tempt me to get angry. Help me choose to die to my flesh and pick up my cross every day. Help me be an atmosphere changer for you!