On the Road Again

I am on another road trip this week; however, this trip is for work and not for pleasure. I am headed to a meeting that could go one of two ways: It could be an enormous success, or it could blow up if the people listening do not receive our message well. It’s a crapshoot, but my boss said that she needed me there, so there I will be.

I guess it is nice to be needed, right?

That is life, though. We don’t know what is waiting around the corner, which reminds me of the old game show, Let’s Make a Deal. The contestant would have a choice between what Monty Hall, the emcee, was offering or what was behind the curtain. The audience would call out what they thought the right decision was, but sometimes they were wrong. When the curtain was pulled the prize would be a huge disappointment.

I am really hoping this trip will not turn out to be a disappointment. I am praying that there will be meaningful conversation, and those in attendance will leave with a better understanding of the issues at hand. However, if things do not go as planned, I’m asking God to give me the words to speak. I want my words to build others up and benefit those who are listening (Ephesians 4:29). I will need the Spirit to help me put into practice James’ advice, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19)

When I quote this verse, I tend to stop at this point; however, James goes on to say, “because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (James 1:20) Friends, this is the reason why God does not want us to become angry because there is no way that we are going to be righteous - right in God’s eyes - when we are.

Stop for a moment and think about times when you have been angry. I mean really angry, to the point of being boiling mad. Personally, when I have been that angry, I was not thinking about God. The only thing going through my mind was “me and mine,” and I could have cared less about the needs and concerns of the other person. Anger seems to bring out selfishness in me, which is not what God desires. What God wants from us is, “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly” (Micah 6:8), which is hard to do when you are only concerned about getting your way.

So how do we avoid losing control of our emotions? As James said, we need to stop talking and start listening. While we may not always agree with the other person or be able to accommodate their requests, we can slow down and hear what they are saying. Taking time with people is what builds relationships, which can give us then opportunities to share the Gospel. People who know that you are willing to listen to them just might be willing to listen when you talk to them about Jesus.

While we are here are earth, the future will always hold surprises for us; however, remember that nothing is a surprise for God. He knows the things that he has planned for us to do each day (Ephesians 2:10), and so my prayer for all of us is that we will put other’s ahead of ourselves, because when we do, people will see Christ in us.

Therefore, I am going to slow down and listen.

For the glory of God! Lisa