I used to coach high school football with a gentlemen who also served our state as a Kentucky State Trooper. Kids loved him (and still do) and I learned about life while being in his presence. When it came to dealing with emotions or people, he was, as my momma would say, “cool as a cucumber.” I noticed he never really got upset, but was firm, fair, and focused with all interactions (even referees). He always had a lot of funny little sayings. One of them I remember most is he would say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff, because it’s all small stuff!” Of course the context of this statement was aimed at “coach” trying to calm the nerves of a bunch of teenage boys before a game against other teenage boys in front of a crowd of fans. Needless to say, the air would always be tense. H was reminding the boys not to be nervous and pushing them to think about “bigger things” and not allow their “nerves” and emotions to trip them up. The intent was to simply get the team to calm down, stay focused, and don’t make an emotional decision.
Of course, we know Scripture teaches this concept on a much higher plane. When it comes to addressing being “upset” or reacting with anger which creates more problems for us, one of the more turned to passages referenced is James 1:19-21. Here James says, “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. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Here, we see James is teaching the church to pursue hearing the word, and to avoid hasty speech and unrighteous behavior. How grand is that and how easy is it to say, but more difficult to practice? James knows the answers to my questions. James knows about the fragility of humanity. James is echoing Jewish tradition on the misuse of the tongue and the anger that can result (Proverbs 10:19, 11:12; 15:1; 17:28). I once saw a poster hanging in a classroom at the school I worked at that said, “Anger is one letter away from danger!” That has always stuck with me. We see through the inspired pen of James a deeper lesson. Lack of listening, combined with a lack of restraint in speech, leads to ill-tempered action.
I so wish I could say or write and state I have never had issues of the tongue, mouth, and mind. But, I confess to you I cannot. While we all should be taking steps to improve in this area, we allow little moments of not getting our way coupled with intense emotion to only be focused “in the moment” to cause us to say and/or do things we soon regret, but cannot change. What’s the point? The ESV Study Bible highlights the key take away from James by saying this: “James’ primary theme is living out one’s faith, being a doer and not just a hearer of the word. This theme is developed in view of the social conflict between rich and poor and the spiritual conflict between factions in the church. James rebukes his readers for their worldliness and challenges them to seek divine wisdom in working out these problems and getting right with God.”
The man I coached with, through his age and training, obviously had a better understanding than I when to it comes to not allowing our emotions to become obstacles. If we read on in James 1:25the loop is closed for us. “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” May we seek to follow the words of James because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Let’s not focus on the small stuff, but seek what’s really important.
