slow to anger

St Ambrose talks to us about how the church is typically slow to excommunicate people who are publicly sinning. And what he says brought me to a new realization.

He reminds us that we want to be slow in meting out justice, because it's important to give people a chance to repent. He also says that we should treat those who are sinning as members of our own body, and cutting off part of your body is something that's very serious and should only be done in extreme circumstances.

But what it made me realize was that the verse in the pic above, about being quick to listen but slow to speak and slow to anger... the Bible tells us to be that way. And in telling us that, it's telling us to be more like God.

God is quick to hear us. We know from Scripture that the Lord hears the cry of the poor. He is listening when we pray. When we cry out in pain or when we suffer injustice. He is quick to hear.

However, as anyone who has prayed for any length of time knows, He is slow to speak. When He speaks, man, it changes your life. But He doesn't chatter. He doesn't talk to us very fast, or usually very often. His silence speaks to us too, as I've explored in other blog posts. But He speaks seldom.

And He is slow to anger, even slower than to speak. He is very merciful and kind and loving. Even in the Old Testament, the stories go out of their way to tell us that God is merciful. Which is surprising, when you think about it. God is powerful? Sure. All knowing? Yeah, that makes us fear Him. But what kind of power play is telling us that He is kind and loving and merciful? It's not... it doesn't make us fear Him. It tells us we can trust Him. That we can come to Him with our weakness and blemishes and the parts of us that we're not proud of. Because He is patient with us. He works with what we give Him, and helps us grow into who He made us to be.

So that's what He tells us to do. To follow His example, and be patient with one another. Not to be so quick to speak or be angry. But to listen. Give each other time to grow into who He made them to be.

God, thanks for teaching us how to be more like You.