Let’s “Talk” About This

“All of us make a lot of mistakes. If someone doesn’t make any mistakes when he speaks, he would be perfect. He would be able to control everything he does. We put bits in the mouths of horses to make them obey us, and we have control over everything they do. The same thing is true for ships. They are very big and are driven by strong winds. Yet, by using small rudders, pilots steer ships wherever they want them to go. In the same way the tongue is a small part of the body, but it can brag about doing important things. A large forest can be set on fire by a little flame. The tongue is that kind of flame. It is a world of evil among the parts of our bodies, and it completely contaminates our bodies. The tongue sets our lives on fire, and is itself set on fire from hell. People have tamed all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures. Yet, no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil filled with deadly poison.

With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. Yet, with the same tongues we curse people, who were created in God’s likeness. Praise and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters this should not happen! Do clean and polluted water flow out of the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree produce olives? Can a grapevine produce figs? In the same way, a pool of salt water can’t produce fresh water.” James 3:2-12

What are the kinds of things you talk about on a daily basis? No matter who you are with, whatever group of friends, acquaintances, co-workers, family, whoever. What comes out of your mouth? What is your first instinctive conversational topic? Where do your thoughts go, and to what do you ascribe enough value to, to deem it conversation worthy?

Shouldn’t it be the things of God?

But is it?

I’ve noticed this despicable trait in myself, and I’m repenting about it even as I type this blog entry. Often times, probably even a good majority of times, even when I’m “fellowshipping” (I’ll explain the quotation marks later) with other believers, brothers and sisters in Christ, so many times I shy away from discussing the Lord with them, discussing His Holy Word, and the work He’s doing in our lives. We talk about silly, stupid, nonsense, that honestly isn’t even worth remembering, and the evidence shows, because I can barely remember any of these countless conversations I’ve had. The conversations that I can remember, and often times very clearly, are conversations filled with the Word of God, and flooded with His Holy Spirit, those are conversations worth having.

I also notice, that even in the church, good friends of mine who work together with me in different ministries, our speech is not edifying to one another. We constantly take sarcastic tone with one another, saying hurtful things and disguising it with “humor”, and somehow that’s supposed to make it OK? Really? “Well, I didn’t really mean it, come on, it’s just a joke.” What does the Scripture say about this? In Matthew 12:34, and Luke 6:45, Jesus brings us the full truth of this when He taught us that out of the abundance of our hearts, that’s what will come out of our mouths. We claim not to “mean it” when we make these remarks, these jokes, our witty comebacks, but all it really means, cut and dry black and white, is that those kinds of things are in your heart. Don’t like it? I’m just telling you what the Man Himself said, you’ll have to argue about it with Him. Whatever you’ve allowed to flood your heart by not properly guarding it is what you will speak, when you open your mouth, we all get a glimpse of the inner most parts of your heart. Ephesians 4:29-30 tells it straight as well, “Don’t say anything that would hurt another person. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you. Don’t give God’s Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you. He has put His seal on you from the day you will be set free from the world of sin.” So why not start acting like it?

“But what about liars? Hmmmm? What they say obviously isn’t what’s in their hearts right? It’s not even true! Got you! Now stop rebuking us with Scripture for having fun!” I would respond to this simply by saying that they are speaking deceit, and then they are indeed showing us what’s in their hearts, lies and not truth.

Another great Scripture passage that brought me a lot of solid conviction on the issue of sarcasm and course, hurtful humor about two years ago is found in a great collection of wise biblical sayings, known as Proverbs. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue.

“With our tongues we praise our Lord and Father. Yet, with the same tongues we curse people, who were created in God’s likeness. Praise and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters this should not happen!” Why? Why do we do this? Why do let our hearts be filled with other things than God’s Word? Why do we use hurtful, inappropriate things as “humor” when we have “fellowship” with one another? I call it “fellowship” because it is not edifying. Never has someone made a “your mom” joke that inspired me to shout praises to the Lord.  Ephesians goes on to say: “Imitate God, since you are the children He loves. Live in love as Christ also loved us. He gave His life for us as an offering and sacrifice, a soothing aroma to God. Don’t let sexual sin, perversion of any kind, or greed even be mentioned among you. This is not appropriate behavior for God’s holy people. It’s not right that dirty stories, foolish talk, or obscene jokes should be mentioned among you either. Instead, give thanks to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-4)

I’ll stop this shortly, hopefully you’ve read this with an open heart, with ears to hear, as I hope I’ve had in writing this. But I do want to leave with an encouraging word, after all, I’m talking about how our words should be to encourage one another and to praise the Lord, so, I should probably start that myself right now then huh?

Psalm 119:11 says “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” I think this is the simple solution that I, we all, need to implement. Fill our hearts with scripture, with the living Word of God. Let His life and truth be what is in our hearts in abundance, so that when we speak, it will be life and truth to those who hear, and we will begin to see our tongues be tamed, not by our own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit as He guides our lives with the Word hidden in out hearts.

In Christ.