Do you have good treasure stored up in your heart that produces good?
Or do you have evil treasure stored up in your heart that produces evil?
Did you know that out of the abundance of your heart your mouth speaks?
Do you ever ponder that one of the simplest ways you can display you live a Spirit-filled life is your language?
How do you joke? Are "mild" innuendos funny? Is "that's what she said" really funny and honestly, would she really say such things?
I'm frustrated. Can you tell?
My frustration stems from the fact that it has become "cool" for some followers of Jesus to cuss. I haven't researched it, but I bet Stuff Christians Like has a blog post about how awesome a Christian feels in their so-called freedom to use whatever language they desire.
Well, here's the thing. It ain't so cool. It's actually mocking Him. Freedom in Christ does not equal license to act, say, and do things that bring him no pleasure. Freedom in Christ allows us to live the way Jesus lived and not be constrained by the condemnation of our sin.
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For those of you that God has given the responsibility to lead others...watch out. I don't know about you, but I don't want a millstone around my neck because I couldn't control my language. That would be ridiculous. Just because you feel like it is permissible does not mean that it is beneficial to those you lead.
**Disclaimer #1
I've been thinking about this blog for awhile. My kids are at the age that they listen intently even when they shouldn't. They hear how kids talk at school. They hear how Chad and I talk to each other. They hear how our friends talk. They hear how the people who have wanted to lead them talk.
And then they come talk to me about it all. And it makes me sad.
**Disclaimer #2
I know the intent of We Encourage is encouragement, but the Bible asks us to encourage and admonish one another. My spiritual gift is prophecy, so sometimes stuff like this just comes out of me. I hope this does encourage you to stop and worship Jesus for a minute. Ask Him to show you ways you can clean up your mouth from basic words to crass jokes all the way to gossip. Be bold in admonishing fellow believers to choose to praise Jesus with their lips and not curse. Be encouraged that He is in the business of making us more like Jesus and He takes pleasure in us when we ask Him to bring His refinement to our lives!
27 important comments so far. What are your thoughts?
Thank you for your honesty regarding this topic. Humbling and convicting stuff! Definitely an area that I need to continue to ask Jesus to refine.
Thanks, Angel :)
I'm not a prophet, but have been thinking the same....Thx
i'm with you. just today, i was lamenting that a particular child was moved into my daughter's classroom. my daughter was happy, because she likes her. but everything that comes out of this other child's mouth is a clear reflection of what must be going in. i thought of that verse today - this little 9 yr old is speaking out of the abundance of her heart, and it is abundant with worldly nonsense. isn't that sad?
i abbreviated eph 4:29 for teaching to my young kids, "Don't let any bad talk come out of your mouth. Only words that help." they understand it. thanks for speaking truth today.
I've been thinking the same things too. Thanks for being bold and sharing whats on your heart. Love you!
Kelly
Encouragement sometimes means a kick in the backside! Good word. I know I need to focus on speaking positively. My words need to be building up and spoken in LOVE, not in the commanding sergeant I tend to be. Thank you!
Good word. Man, you are so right about it being "cool" for Christians to cuss. What is with that? I've noticed it with a few of my friends/acquantances and on several blogs. And this post gets right to what I've been studying in James and the Sermon on the Mount recently. It's all a matter of the heart! Maybe God is telling me something? Ok, not maybe, He IS telling me, reminding me. Thank you.
Well spoken, Angel! Thanks for the encouraging words. If we would practice putting God's Word in our hearts and minds, it would be easier for us to speak Truth and encouragement. Reading and memorizing Scripture is an important element for every Christian that wants to "be like Christ". May God grant us boldness as we seek to speak according to His calling on our lives.
Angel,
Great post and pretty bold as well. It is hard to address these issues without coming across as a "legalistic Christian".
Thanks for this great post.
Amen! I think gossip is a huge struggle for some Christians too. It seems like "we" aren't too different from the world in that area, and I think that is a big problem. If we really viewed others as Jesus views them, how can we say negative/mean things about them behind their backs?
I went through my "cool to cuss" phase right after I got married, I was 19 and thought that "some things just sound better with cuss words!"...I was such a childish married woman, wasn't I?? Thanks for sharing that verse, I believe I will make it our "verse to learn" this week!
My wife is always getting on to me for saying "curse words" that most people consider "ok to say." Most people roll their eyes at her about it. The verse says unwholesome words. Angel says to not say words that Jesus would not say. I wonder if he would say those small words that people say are ok to speak like the word crap. The idea of that word does not seem wholesome to me. I guess my wife Cheryl might right.
Thank you Angel... With this as well as reading in Proverbs today, " A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much", hit hard.
I have struggles in these areas, that God is continually refining. Looks like I have my new memory verse, Luke 6:45. Thank you Angel, for this word of truth, for this encouragement.
With out taking away from your intended meaning, or condoning the use of foul, offensive God depreciating language - how would you respond to certain quotes from passages in the bible like Ezekiel or Isaiah that use extremely strong vulgar language, or Martin Luther who spoke, on occasion, with strong vulgar language?
Lawson, I appreciate your question. The most basic answer boils down to motives. Is a person using strong, harsh language to empassion people to respond to the gospel or are they using offensive language to fit into culture, sound cute, or make a joke? Saying that our sin is like filthy menstrual rags is very graphic and to some, probably vulgar, but it ultimately points to the fact that we need Jesus to make us clean.
amen. a thousand times.
thank you, angel.
(and i also agree with your comment just above me!)
Too funny. Due to my typical audience, I'm not going to leave any f-bombs, especially if they are left anonymously. And, your not getting under my skin if that's what your trying to do. :)
I love how the anonymization of the web has grown woefully misguided egos into thinking they are strong. Touché Mister or Miss Anonymous your rebuttal is right on point - and sarcasm abounds.
Angel, in response to your response of my response I would like to offer my agreement. Your clarification of impassioning people I believe is what is at the heart of communication and why there is such a weight and seriousness on speech in the Bible. What are we impassioning people toward, and who are we making much of in our speech? We can easily try to impassion people toward Christ but still make much of ourselves. How dangerous a line to tote without strong language or vulgarity.
During my undergraduate studies one of the many concepts that stuck was in my intercultural communications class. "It is not what you said that matters most but how it was interpreted." The burden of responsibility, as the speaker, is to engage your audience in a way they can understand. Vulgarity or no vulgarity... who are we talking to, why are we talking and what are we talking about.
Great wisdom here. Ephesians 4:29 was one of the firsts verses we memorized as a family with my girls when they were small after the Lord "intterupted" our family and put me and my husband on a different course. Have you ever read Silver Boxes by Florence Litauter? It is sweet and is all about our words being as gifts to others...building them up instead of tearing down. I plan on blogging about it soon. I was the "Silver Box Lady" when my daughter was in 2nd grade. I would visit her classroom and read a story to the class that had a spiritual lesson. I loved it! I had a long silver scarf I always wore and all the kids made little silver boxes they kept on their desks to remind them to speak kind words to each other. :)
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