“Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. For the anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20. (see also Zechariah 3: 3-4)

These verses have been such a challenge in my own life that I have found it difficult to write this blog post. However, as I reread the introduction to Eugene Peterson’s “Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer,” I knew. If we are to have any hope of a deepening relationship with God (or with any other living being for that matter) we must first learn to listen:

“God comes and speaks — His Word catches us in sin, finds us in despair, invades us by grace. The Psalms are our answers. We don’t always like what God speaks to us and we don’t always understand it. Left to ourselves, we will pray to some God who speaks what we like hearing, or to the part of God that we manage to understand. But what is critical is that we speak to the God who speaks to us, and to everything that He speaks to us, and in our speaking (which gathers up our listening and answering) mature in the great art of conversation with God in prayer. The Psalms — all of which listen in order to answer — train us in the conversation…they are prayer masters…God’s gift to train us in prayer that is comprehensive and honest…the center where Christ worked in His praying.”

Eight years ago, when the Lord gave me the song “The Great Exchange,” James 1:19-20 was already engraved on the walls of my heart. As grandchildren of Scottish and Norwegian immigrants, we were familiar with the passionate outbursts of the Viking/Campbell “blood.” We never lacked for conversation at our table: we laughed loud and hard and –when anger flared — it was loud too. A lot of venting was happening, but perhaps not a lot of listening. Each one, sure that he/she was “right,” presenting his/her case with passion and deep sincerity.

Recently I saw a young friend who has been battling a serious cancer for many years. He broke into a rant about how Jesus was cool but God must be dead. Of course, he was hurting and bitter, but he reminded me of myself as I confronted the realities of the 45 delinquents on my caseload in the mid 70’s in Augusta, GA. Born into what I saw as a “living hell,” would they then suffer an eternal hell? As the injustice of life itself overwhelmed me, I turned to anger: you know, that feeling of power we go to when things seem so painful or out of control. It is such a human response that it is no wonder that God spelled it out so clearly in verse 20: “...the anger of man does not accomplish the righteousness of God.” Oh, but at least it feels like I am doing something….!

O course, as my anger and impotence turned on God — He was the Creator after all — I, like my young friend, divided the Triune God –identifying with Jesus, ignoring Holy Spirit, and essentially judging the almighty God of the universe. It was as though I were wrapping imaginary arms around the kids on my caseload and informing God that if they were to go hell I would too. Let me insert here, just in case there is any doubt, that this is a very bad idea….because what I actually did was to curse myself in the name of helping them. I ultimately only harmed myself in profound and irretrievable ways. However, thanks be to God!….gradually over the intervening years, I came to the end of myself and found my Father God waiting where I had left Him — Arms outstretched and Heart open to receive my heart and my “filthy rags” in exchange for His righteousness:

“The Great Exchange:” (access the recording in the column to the right or below)

“Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. Hate what’s evil; Love the orphan & the stranger.

“Come to Him and relinquish your robe of filthy rags; come to Him and exchange all your anger, lust, and pride; and receive, instead, His robe of Righteousness:

“It is pure and white–it will envelop you;

“It is armor, It will protect you;

“It is a dwelling place, where you will see His face:

“He is beautiful: He will transform you!

“And you’ll be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger; you will hate what’s evil, Love the orphan and the stranger. You’ll come to Him and relinquish your robe of filthy rags; you’ll come to Him and exchange all your anger, lust, and pride…and receive, instead, His robe of Righteousness: It is the Great Exchange!!! “