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Short People (Being Snappy & Angry)
R Aylor
Randy Newman's 1977 album included a song entitled “Short People”. It was a song about prejudiced from an extreme biased lunatics viewpoint… and it was actually about people who are short in stature. But today I’d like to think about “Short People” a little differently.
This month, we are to include a pun within our brag on Jesus talk and basically the whole subject and message of the sermon is the Pun. The world has way too many short people.
By “short” I'm not talking about Brad Chase or Joe Espinosa... No, its not about being short in stature... these men may be some of the tallest, biggest men around these parts within the kingdom of God.
I am referring to a culture of people who are short tempered... not patient with others... always in a hurry to do their well intentioned plans... One person I am talking about is myself because I fall into that “short” category quite often. I want us to look at James 1:19… and James says to be in a hurry in one way and to slow down in two ways… let’s take a look at that.
James 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
James says to be in a hurry in one way that we are usually very slow in... in our hearing... We should listen to the downcast and those who need Gods love. Listen to the Widows and Elderly, listen to brothers and sisters in Christ going through troubles and need encouragement.
So yes, maybe think of it like this... we should have not really short ears but big ears to be a good listener… not ears for hearing gossip but for understanding and showing compassion to others… The world has way too many short ears. Maybe you’re like me and when you were growing up you looked in the mirror and you thought… “wow my ears are big”… Well that's a good thing… and especially from a Spiritual standpoint.
James said we should be not only quick to hear but also be slow to speak. Another text that goes along with that is:
Proverbs 18:13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.
Have you ever watched Jeopardy on tv? Alex Trebek always does what this text says… He gives the answer before the contestants give the question…
I know Jeopardy is a bit different than what we're talking about today.
How many a time has another person interrupted you and tried to finish your sentence as if they knew exactly what it was?
If this happens occasionally it may be that they are just showing you that they are listening well.
Many times I think that for someone who frequently interrupts, quite often the problem is that they are not patient. They are being short…
One thing about always being in a hurry… We think our agenda… our task… our purpose for the day is more important than listening to others.
Even as believers although we may want to be on mission for Christs every minute of the day… and there's so much mission work to do that we have to finish peoples sentences and hurry off to do more mission work and change the world…
Like the song I love by Sweet Brown a few years back... we think: Aint nobody got time for that...
That's the way we feel sometimes I think... even as we are ministering to others. ...
The irony may just be that slowing down and being better listeners… trusting God instead of ourselves and all of our running… may be the mission and we may be missing it every day.
James also says to slow down in our anger.
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Impatience and anger keeps us from a spirit of worship to God and it also keeps us from mission. And I think the mission of God shows itself in the interruptions of our daily life.
We can't escape the busyness of the world... nor should we want to 100%... God does not want us to be hermits but to participate in relationships in this broken world. The mission is hidden within the busyness we encounter.
