“Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” James 1:19 (KJV)
Reflection
The first hour of the day is the hour when the tongue is at its most tempted. Something small goes wrong — the coffee spills, the child is late, the message on the phone arrived at the wrong moment — and a word rises up in us that will govern the whole morning if we let it out. James asks a very small mercy of us: be slow. Not silent, not stoic — slow. Slow to the retort. Slow to the sharp reply. Slow to the mood that would explain itself to everyone in the house before breakfast. It is a household discipline. A slow tongue at 7am is a peaceful supper at 6pm.
Prayer line
Lord, give me a quiet tongue this morning. Let my first words be gentle. Amen.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.