Shechinah

“My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger, for a man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you which can save you.” James 1:21.

Well leave it to James to point out yet another spiritual habit for which I need to cultivate. As children or parents, I am sure that each of us has either heard or said at one point, ‘If you can’t say anything nice then don’t say anything at all.” James is taking it one step further, telling us not to just keep it to ourselves but to rid it from our lives. It was believed in ancient Judaism that the angry man who had not mastered his ‘impulses’ would lose his Shechinah. Shechinah refers to a resting or settling of the glory of God.

One of the most humiliating and humbling experience for me was during a Duke/UNC basketball game years ago. We were at a party and I was publicly ripping one of our players apart due to his performance on the court. The host of the party quietly informed me that the aunt of that Duke player was a guest at the party and standing right behind me. I was horrified at my mouth and my behavior. It is an understatement that my anger and actions did not bring about the righteous life that God desires for me. As a matter of fact, it was more of an outcome of Eph. 4:30-31. ‘And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.’ Not only did I forfeit the chance of showing the righteous life but I grieved the Holy Spirit. I experienced deep humility in my soul which I hope to never forget. The basketball player’s aunt displayed James 1:21 out loud! She had a spirit that could not be mistaken for anything but a life driven by the Spirit of God. She was incredibly gracious to accept my apology and I knew that the word of forgiveness was planted deep in her heart.

I think of that woman often as I know she was planted in my life to develop humility. With the escalating challenges of life providing opportunities for anger around every corner, we must cultivate the seeds of self-control, kindness, patience and Godly awareness.

There is no bitterness and anger too great from which the Holy Spirit can't rid us. In fact, any Eph. 4:30-31 attitudes will block the flow between us and our Father. We will be humbled in our righteous emotions if we resist the work of the Holy Spirit in our weaknesses.

May we always make way for Shechinah.