Watch Your Words
By David Chadwick
There was a day when some parents would actually use soap to wash a child’s mouth when a dirty word was heard. Filthy language simply wasn’t tolerated.
How far we have come as a society! Now cursing is heard in practically every television show and movie. It is all over social media. There are few filters when it comes to watching your words.
Should we even care? “After all,” I hear regularly, “they are only words.”
Is that true? Are spoken words meaningless?
The Bible says that life and death are in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Most of us know how true this verse is. Some people remain severely scarred by words spoken by parents or a significant other years ago. Others are wonderfully encouraged by positive words spoken to them.
Words do matter.
The Bible also says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29 ESV).
What is “corrupting talk”? It’s evil speech. It’s speaking words that give death, not life.
That’s why all of Jesus’ followers need to think about the words they speak – especially words that are considered to be lifeless. Condemning. Spiritually harmful.
Think about the d_____ word. It has eternal implications. As does the h_____ word. Should we trivialize terrible eternal realities? If damnation and hell are true, has our language caused us to minimize eternal destinations? Minimized our heart to share the Gospel?
When we attach God’s name to it, are you using it in vain – a direct violation of one of the Ten Commandments?
Think about the f____ word. One of God’s most beautiful gifts to humankind is sex and its sacred reality in marriage. Are we denigrating the beauty and glory of this priceless gift from the Almighty when we casually throw the f____ word around?
Consider the s____ word. Would God really want our mouths filled with words about human defecation? He wants our minds focused on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). We are to bless the Lord at all times and let his praise, not filthy language, forever fill our mouths (Psalm 34:1).
For those of us who follow Jesus as Lord and Savior, here is a poignant question to ponder: Can you ever, under any circumstances, imagine Jesus speaking curse words? Using filthy language? Casually calling upon God’s name? Trivializing eternal truth? The answer is obvious: he would not. Jesus’ greatest desire was to please his Father in heaven.
It should be the same for us as well.
May our speech be brought to the highest level of excellence. May we immediately use spiritual soap when it doesn’t, and wash our mouths out for God’s glory.
And let us repeat to ourselves all day long: May the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts, be acceptable in our lives, O God, our strength and our redeemer (Psalm 19:14).
Let’s all watch our words. Because God is watching us.
Live in-tune with the heartbeat of God!
God might have blessed all Christians with grace, but sin still affects our lives.
It steals our happiness and keeps us from experiencing fullness and meaning that Jesus intended us to enjoy.
We want you to live a righteous, fulfilling life that’s aligned with the heartbeat of God—so you don’t have to live another moment in the miserable pitfalls of sin. That’s why we want to send you David Chadwick’s CD series, Heart Beats, as our thanks for your gift below to reach others with the hope of Jesus Christ.
This insightful series offers biblical perspectives on subjects such as...
- Worthlessness & Shame
- Disappointment
- Loneliness
- Parenting
- And more!
For more from Moments of Hope, visit us at MomentsofHope.org.
