"Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?" (Ecclesiastes 5:6 KJV)
"Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every way." (James 3:1-2 NLT)
This might be one of my biggest problems, as much as I hate to admit it. If I could just stop being in such a hurry, driving from one appointment to the next, and honking at the people who seemingly slow me down as I struggle to be on time to the next inspection.
For the most part, this is about making vows that are not able to be kept, such as it is in the case of my anger towards people who get in my way, whereas I try continually to start out being respectful and courteous, but then I find myself running behind, forgetting what it was I told myself not to do. I'm sorry if I might have revealed something that seems, shall we say, not so loving; but if there is anything I need to practice, each and every day, it is having patience and not being so judgmental.
This is totally and completely a condition of the heart! If you have been following the Lord for any length of time, then you know by now, we cannot change our heart, that is something that is totally God's doing! If there is any sort of issue that we have in our hearts, we must completely and honestly give everything to Him, without any conditions or hesitations!
Sometimes we can't even see the problem for ourselves; yet we continue doing things we feel are wrong, because we feel we have the right. There is a reason for the question mark after that statement: "wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?" Ask yourself, 'What does God need to do in order to change my heart?'
Do you really know what God does when we ask Him for patience? Some say that He will give us a situation where we must be patient, as is the anticipation of many; but to be realistic about how God works, He puts the desire and compassion within us, to be overcomers; and James clearly says...
"God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death." (James 1:12-15 NLT)
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