Cleaning up Our Mouths
Before I go any further I want to clarify something I wrote yesterday by emphasizing it. In my first couple of paragraphs I was not endorsing the use of the s- or f- words as if they really, in today's culture and use, are valid. I tried to qualify that at the end of those comments but at least one has thought that maybe I was not strong enough in what I said.
Folks, when a word has an overwhelmingly vulgar and base sense connected to it in a given time and place--even if there is a strict literal meaning of that word that is not vulgar, it is the height of foolishness (at best) to use that word. More likely the choice to use that word even in a strict literal way would evidence a carnal desire to sound edgy, and/or a callous disregard for others and for the name and testimony of Christ. Avoid these words because even if you think you are using a valid word in a valid way, you'll be about the only one who thinks so. In such a case you may not be guilty of vulgarity, but you will be guilty of something worse: a lack of love and concern for others.
Now that said, I want to be sure to include in these posts a few helps as to how to move toward the cleaning up or sanctifying of our words. Over the next few days I'll suggest five steps toward a cleaner mouth. I hope they provoke growth and holiness in us all.
Step One: Integrity
I think the first step toward cleaning up our mouths is being honest that they are dirty. If the holy, godly, mighty prophet Isaiah admitted a dirty mouth (Isaiah 6:5), we can be pretty sure that we need to admit it too.
Let's be honest: all of us are at least tempted to curse and be profane. I'm not talking necessarily about certain four-letter words. Your curses may be words that others consider innocent. You can be cursing by saying "Phooey!!" if the word is coming out in anger; or by saying "Idiot" if your heart is defiling and denegrating another human being made in the image of God.
People often say that because words are used so frequently and mindlessly they lose their meaning so that when people use them they may not really be cursing in ther hearts at all. I suppose that it's possible, in a given moment, to use a word mindlessly, but I'm not sure that that means cursing has not happened. I still would maintain that these words are chosen at some level precisely because they carry a certain sound and cultural meaning that satisfy the flesh at that moment.
Why don't more people say "Phooey!" instead of "D**n"? I think it's because the latter feels better to an angry heart than the former does. Why do so many exclaim the "s" word instead of some other word for excrement? Folks, the words we use, we use because they sound/feel sufficiently nasty to express our anger, naughty to satisfy our flesh, edgy to sound cool, or titillating to get attention. We need the integrity to confess that we use them for these reasons, and ask God to forgive the sinful heart that produced them.
It does us no good to make believe there's no profanity or cursing in our hearts. Integrity admits it, and integrity gets us moving in a new direction. Why not start here and go to God with an honest heart?
Folks, when a word has an overwhelmingly vulgar and base sense connected to it in a given time and place--even if there is a strict literal meaning of that word that is not vulgar, it is the height of foolishness (at best) to use that word. More likely the choice to use that word even in a strict literal way would evidence a carnal desire to sound edgy, and/or a callous disregard for others and for the name and testimony of Christ. Avoid these words because even if you think you are using a valid word in a valid way, you'll be about the only one who thinks so. In such a case you may not be guilty of vulgarity, but you will be guilty of something worse: a lack of love and concern for others.
Now that said, I want to be sure to include in these posts a few helps as to how to move toward the cleaning up or sanctifying of our words. Over the next few days I'll suggest five steps toward a cleaner mouth. I hope they provoke growth and holiness in us all.
Step One: Integrity
I think the first step toward cleaning up our mouths is being honest that they are dirty. If the holy, godly, mighty prophet Isaiah admitted a dirty mouth (Isaiah 6:5), we can be pretty sure that we need to admit it too.
Let's be honest: all of us are at least tempted to curse and be profane. I'm not talking necessarily about certain four-letter words. Your curses may be words that others consider innocent. You can be cursing by saying "Phooey!!" if the word is coming out in anger; or by saying "Idiot" if your heart is defiling and denegrating another human being made in the image of God.
People often say that because words are used so frequently and mindlessly they lose their meaning so that when people use them they may not really be cursing in ther hearts at all. I suppose that it's possible, in a given moment, to use a word mindlessly, but I'm not sure that that means cursing has not happened. I still would maintain that these words are chosen at some level precisely because they carry a certain sound and cultural meaning that satisfy the flesh at that moment.
Why don't more people say "Phooey!" instead of "D**n"? I think it's because the latter feels better to an angry heart than the former does. Why do so many exclaim the "s" word instead of some other word for excrement? Folks, the words we use, we use because they sound/feel sufficiently nasty to express our anger, naughty to satisfy our flesh, edgy to sound cool, or titillating to get attention. We need the integrity to confess that we use them for these reasons, and ask God to forgive the sinful heart that produced them.
It does us no good to make believe there's no profanity or cursing in our hearts. Integrity admits it, and integrity gets us moving in a new direction. Why not start here and go to God with an honest heart?
Labels: Sanctification, speech, tongue
posted by Tim Shorey at
10:58 AM
7 Comments:
Tim, I wish I had more time to interact. Thanks for the challenge that you have brought. We often, I often, am affected by the company I am forced to keep at work. Even in a so called "Christian" organization, I routeenly hear words like bull s--t, pissed off, he's not worth a d--n etc. This morning I asked a brother how he felt when I used the word pissed off in this sentence. "I accidentally changed lanes without using my turn signal and I must have pissed off the guy behind me because he.......". He said to me, John, that really doesn't bother me at all. I don't see any problem with it. I don't think you were guilty of vulgar speech. He then said something very, very revealing. "I wouldn't want to hear my Pastor using that phrase, that might trouble me". His point is that he expected a higher standard from his Pastor. That settled it for me. I want to be seen by my peers as one who is living by a higher standard. The world will always drag us down if left unchallenged. We tend to morph into our culture. We, as God's holy instruments, should be "morphing " our culture for good instead of it changing us.
May God give us "trend setting" grace to improve our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and then our culture.
Having said that, I have a comment about Isaiah 6:5. I never saw that as the prophet thinking that his speech was vulgar. I always understood him to mean that in the immediate presence of Almighty God, he was forced to see his uncleanness. I understand the proverb "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh". Any who would challenge your goal of creating a "cleaned up" speech pattern, perhaps betrays a foul abundance of heart. Thanks for your co-labors with the Spirit to form in us, a lovely bride, without spot or blemish. God create in me a clean heart and my words will be without offence.
Humbly, JR
Thanks for your excellent comments and open heart JR.
And I do think that your co-worker's response really is telling. I'm convinced--as today's blog indicates--that true integrity will reveal that down deep we realize there is something amiss with these words--at least amiss enough that we wouldn't want our pastors to use them!!
As for the Isaiah reference I think that in mentioning the "uncleanness of his lips", the prophet may well be saying something really staggering. He may be saying that in light of the glory of God which he had just seen everything he had ever thought or said about God seemed profane!
Here was a man who had spoken holy things about God, but now that he had seen God, it seemed as if all words--even the most holy he had ever spoken--were profane, unclean, too low to speak the worth and glory of his God!
If that is so of our best words, how much more unclean are our cheap and careless words?
Searching thoughts.
Tim, perhaps a sermon on Isaiah 6:5is in order. Alas, you have created a hunger to hear more.......
I must make a confession which after reflection, I believe to be an example of profane speech. I mention this only to my shame and in hope that it will shed light on our topic. One of the guys at work mentioned a news report of a man who was killed yesterday as he was examining a large (room size) chocolate mixing vat at one of our clients, Hershey in Pa. As he leaned over the vat he was hit on the head by a mixing paddle the size of an airplane propellor and fell into the vat and died. In an attempt to be whitty, I said,"that gives new meaning to the phrase death by chocolat". Lord forgive me for profaning what should have been a sobering event....... that a man was suddenly called into eternity and judgement with no warning. In my coldness of heart, and without the use of any "vulgar" terminology, I committed profanity. No sooner did I desire to improve my speech by asking God in prayer, he showed me my heart.
JR
My brother: your alert conscience and depth of insight into the true nature of profanity is deeply affecting.
I cannot help but believe that in this one shared bit of openness, some hearts have grasped the nature of what I've been getting at more deeply than through what I've actually written.
Indebted.
Hi, Tim. I was a new Christian when I first saw what real integrity was. Tommy & Jayne were a dear couple who spoke volumes to those around them, including me! I remember so many examples, but let me share a couple. Tommy would not purchase his gasoline in any station that sold alcohol (state of TN). He would not support an establishment (even if it cost him more money elsewhere) which influenced drinking and driving. More importantly, he desired to serve the Lord, and avoid the appearance of all evil. One year Tommy had purchased a new car for Jayne. After having it several months, he was told by someone that they thought his wife's car was at the local bar. Of course it was not her car, but one that was the same model and color that Jayne drove. Tommy immediately sold the car, even taking a financial loss on it. Why? Tommy and Jayne did not want to have the appearance of evil. They did not want to cause anyone to stumble. Most people would have know it was not their car parked at the bar, yet they chose to avoid any appearance, possibility, or chance of ungodly living. For them, if it had the look, smell, sound, feel, touch, or any sense of improper living before the Lord, whether in word, actions, deed, or thought, they chose to not cause anyone to stumble, and try to live blameless before the Lord. So they sold the car. Integrity! As Christians how often do we consider our words or actions, and the effect it will have on those around us? How often do we neglect to realize people are always watching us, especially in what the world would call the 'small stuff of life.' Thanks for enlightening us on our speech and challenging us to use our words and tongues wisely.
Integrity - (Webster) firm adherence to a code of especially moral (or artistic) values, incorruptibility.
I agree with John, I think it is a call to a much higher standard! May we be a people of great integrity, striving to live our lives to HIS standards.
"I'm not talking necessarily about certain four-letter words. Your curses may be words that others consider innocent. You can be cursing by saying "Phooey!!" if the word is coming out in anger; or by saying "Idiot" if your heart is defiling and denegrating another human being made in the image of God."
Tim, excellent illustration for us of "Christian" profanity, showing how we may be just as guilty of this sin on a deeper level without using the obvious language on a surface level.
Thanks for helping us to think more seriously about the heart ---"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt. 12:34b). And then, "From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers these things ought not to be so" (Ja. 3:10).
Thank you for your example to us in life and speech, and for helping us always to take more seriously the things of the Christian life, that we may press on and "cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1b).
Just when I start to feel good about a usefull blog comment, I read Bruces and am totally humbled. Yes Tim, I must give honor where it is due...thanks for leading us further into Godly sensitivity in this area. One can not lead from behind, but from ahead. Thanks again Pastor Tim.
JR
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