| “…because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” |
| —James 1:20b |
Are you someone who walks into a room and people immediately welcome you with open arms and, more importantly, open hearts? With a smile on my face, I always particularly enjoyed the way his friends greeted Norm Peterson whenever he would enter the bar, “Cheers.” The rafters would fairly shake with the hearty shout: “Norm!”
Some people—and maybe you’re one—are blessed with a naturally suave gregariousness that engenders a warmly open welcome wherever they go. Almost everyone seems to like such a one. Almost everyone seems always glad to see them. I am decidedly not such a person.
At a former church, many years ago, a dear, sweet lady looked me right in the eyes and said:
“You are the coldest most aloof person I know. Whenever I see you enter a room, I want to make a quick exit.”
Frankly, I was grateful that she shared her opinion of me to my face, rather than talking about me behind my back. I’ve often admitted in various blog posts how painfully shy I am. And yet, I have no nervousness when I am speaking to crowds of people as large as 5,000, or in talking on the radio, or speaking on a Podcast. I am, frankly, socially inept. I am not very good at small talk. All these qualities create in me a very obvious “anti-Norm.”
In continually seeking for any help God might give me in blunting my sharp edges and helping me to become more winsome, I have often reminded myself of these words 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.
Now there truly is a formula I can wrap my mental arms around: quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. If I could listen carefully to others in an engaging, respectful, and helpful way, hold my tongue and not be so quick to speak, and not become angry so quickly—why I just might possibly turn into a real, live, “Norm-like” human being.
Isn’t it amazing? God loves us so much that He always meets us at our point of greatness need. I don’t know how you might feel about such things, but I’m certainly glad that, for reasons I simply do not understand, God chose me to belong to Himself.
I celebrate with great joy the people I know who receive a well-deserved “Norm-like” welcome. And, I hope—I say with a chuckle—that at some point in my life I will earn the privilege of receiving such a welcome myself. Perhaps, if not here on earth, maybe some day in heaven.
Based on a blog originally posted on Tuesday, June 7, 2016
