Geoffrey's Notebook

Let no man, being tempted, say, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted by evil things, and himself tempts no one. As a believer, our way of life is to live by the "newness of life", the eternal life of God. We abide in Christ and live by this new life. God doesn't tempt us with evil because He is never tempted by evil. So when we are tempted it is never that this life from God is tempted. What temptation goes for is our own old life —the flesh . So even as you sense temptation, you feel it by the self-life and not the eternal-life. Hide and abide in Him —then flee temptation because He is never tempted. 

So that, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath  Could we take the words "quick to listen" to first mean listening to the Lord? Of course in conversation and fellowship we need to be quick to listen and slow to speak, but how does that help you be "slow to wrath"?  The more you listen, the angrier you become in many cases. But if while listening, you hear the Lord first, then afterward, by the Spirit of God, your words will be as "oracles of God" and your heart will be "after God's heart." There is still room for anger occasionally, but it comes very slow. In front of righteous anger, there is patience and mercy.