Let No Unwholesome Talk Come out Your Mouths
Author: Andy Robbins
I often marvel at the continued lowering standards of people’s vocabularies. Even in the church, there seems to be very little conviction about what comes out of one’s mouth. I know people who I perceive really love God, but they can cuss a blue streak and don’t seem to have any discomfort with using the same vile language as the rest of the world.
This is not an issue of simply being “old fashioned,” “out of touch,” or overly sensitive. The Bible does address this issue in no uncertain terms.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. –Ephesians 4:29
…You must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. –Colossians 3:8
Some people argue that certain words are simply cultural swear words that mean nothing in other cultures. That’s true enough, but in keeping with Biblical standards, we should refrain from allowing to pass through our lips anything that could be potentially offensive to anyone in whatever culture we find ourselves. If you can’t say it comfortably while addressing your pastor or your church, then it shouldn’t be a part of your vocabulary at all.
Why is it that people will refrain from saying certain words in front of their pastors or when they are at church, but show no restraint in their speech in their normal conversations every other day of the week? Isn’t that terribly hypocritical? And why are certain words okay for adults but not okay for their children? Again, hypocrisy!
This has been a frustration of mine for quite some time now as more and more of the Church conforms to the pattern of this world in direct violation of Romans 12:2: Brethren, be not conformed to the pattern of this world…”
The fact is, we are called to be salt and light in a sin-soaked world, and that means being starkly different in our speech and behavior. We are, in fact, called to be “peculiar” people, a people belonging to God. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that in some respects, we should even stand out because of how differently we talk and act.
This subject has come up again for our family recently as our oldest child and only daughter, Hannah, has taken a job at a restaurant where she hears language that is very unbecoming, especially for a child of God. We have talked about this topic extensively in reiterating our standards to Hannah, who, thank God, has very high standards of speech and is repulsed by profanity. We would all do well to hold such high standards.
But beyond the Biblical standards, the thing I wish I could say to all Christians and non-Christians alike is how unsophisticated, unrefined, unprofessional, and uneducated profanity makes a person sound. I wish I could say to some people, “Do you know how idiotic you sound?” The use of profanity is also extremely selfish and insensitive to those in ear-shot because it shows absolutely no concern whatsoever about the sensitivities of others.
In short, Christians are called to show soberness and restraint in all of our conduct. We are to be holy, because our heavenly Father is holy, according to 1 Peter 1:16 and elsewhere. And holiness does indeed include our speech.