In word, deed, and attitude.. in everything, be a good witness for the Lord. He can empower you for this.
Q: Is what you say clear, considerate, convincing, consistent with good character and clean or perhaps.. foul and condescending? How do you pray, share truth and simple talk?
What's your daily conversation like? Does it represent your Maker well? What do you see and allow into your ear gate?
Profanity is so lame.. even a little bit.
Personally, I don't even like the alternative kissing cousins of profanity like: Gosh darn, or dang instead of damn, or heck, or frickin'.
In each case, the terms mean exactly the same thing when used as interjections. The only difference is that the words they replace get used by kids without fear of getting their mouths washed out with soap (at least that's how it was when I was raised).
I say, why not live classy and be above foul-mouthed. Be yourself. You clean with all your communication cuz that's not overrated at all. Copy none.. of those people around you who live foul. I say stop communicating about what you really need to forget about; I mean, simply move on to better things and spiritual maturity that pleases the Lord.
WHEN IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT:
Please Don't Open Your Mouth...
1. When you're angry at people - Prov. 14:17
Proverbs 14:17 does not literally say “keep your mouth shut when angry,” (Some of the best messages I've ever heard have come from people who felt angry at the evil (not losing control cuz self control is a fruit of the Spirit), or at the evil-one, and angry at how sin has ripped people off in every nation). Proverbs 13:1 is not specifically a command to listen to it all (what's off) before speaking every single time; a silent prayer is never bad before one opens their mouth. Those People around us are so valuable -- let's be gentle and careful. Let's really care before we share.
2. When you don't really know - Prov. 18:13
3. When it's unverified - Deut. 17:6
4. When it could wound - 1 Cor. 8:11
5. When it dishonors Christ - 1 Pet. 2:21-23
6. When it leans toward sin - Prov. 14:9
7. When it's unclean or twists truth - Prov. 19:5
8. When it's not your place - Prov. 20:3
9. When you've lost control - Prov. 25:28
10. When you should be listening - Prov. 13:1
A.) Profanity reveals what fills the heart. Words are the overflow out of the heart and person.Matthew 12:34B.) Profanity reflects an undisciplined spirit and an unclean mind.Ephesians 4:29C.) When vulgar speech produces no conviction, the conscience is dull or dead.1 Timothy 4:2D.) A corrupt mouth defiles the atmosphere around it.Proverbs 18:21E.) Bitter water and sweet water cannot flow from the same fountain.James 3:11
It's got to be a good song sung honestly, without all the bells and whistles. So be sincere. Tell the story clean, without embellishment or wild exaggeration. Stay true to Him who is the truth.
IF PROFANITY MAKES YOU FEEL EVEN A LITTLE BIT SUPERIOR THAN OTHERS, then your character may be weaker than your vocabulary.IF CUSSIN' MAKES YOU FEEL COOL, OR THINK A BIT BETTER OF YOURSELF, then you are sort of medicating the flesh instead of mastering it by the Holy Spirit.IF CURSING NO LONGER GRATES AGAINST YOUR HUMAN SPIRIT OR OFFENDS YOUR CONSCIENCE, then your heart has grown calloused.IF PROFANITY HAS BECOME YOUR NORMAL EVERYDAY LANGUAGE, then you have lost the holy fear of God.
What Comes Out of Your Mouth?
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” — Ephesians 4:29, KJV
There is a revealing connection between the heart and the mouth.
Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). What comes out of us when we are tired, angry, embarrassed, frustrated, surprised, or under pressure often tells us more about what is inside us than the words we carefully choose when everything is going our way.
That is why Ephesians 4:29 is about much more than profanity.
Paul is teaching us to put our mouths under the lordship of Jesus Christ.
The Christian question is not merely, “Can I say this?” It is better to ask, “Should I say this? Will it honor Christ? Is it true? Is it necessary? Will it help the person who hears it?”
That sapros in Ephesians 4:29 is the Greek sapros (rotten, spoiled, worthless, or unfit for use). Is a pic of rotten fruit is unfit for the table, rotten speech is unfit to nourish another soul.
And Paul does not merely stop with “don't.” He gives us a better way:
“But only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” — Ephesians 4:29 niv
Christian speech is not merely clean speech. It is constructive speech.
God wants to take a mouth that once tore people down and teach it to build them up.
Your mouth is a window into your heart
Jesus said:
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” — Matthew 12:34
The mouth does not create the condition of the heart. It reveals it.
A cup can only pour out what is already inside it.
That is why Jesus connected our words with the condition of our hearts in Matthew 12:33–37. He compared people to trees and their words and actions to fruit. Good trees bear good fruit; bad trees bear bad fruit.
So when ugly words continually come out of our mouths, the deepest biblical question is not simply, “How do I stop saying those words?”
It is:
“Lord, what is happening in my heart that keeps producing them?”
That takes us deeper than behavior modification.
David understood this when he prayed:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10
The answer to corrupt speech ultimately begins deeper than the lips.
God changes the well, and eventually the water changes.
As the old saying puts it, “What's down in the well will come up in the bucket.”
Profanity is only one form of corrupt speech
We sometimes reduce Ephesians 4:29 to four-letter words. Scripture goes considerably further.
Paul immediately speaks about bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice:
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” — Ephesians 4:31, ESV
He also writes:
“Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.” — Ephesians 5:4, NLT
And Colossians 3:8 tells believers to put away anger, rage, malice, slander, and “filthy language from your lips.”
So corrupt communication can include profanity, but it can also include:
Gossip.
Slander.
Lies.
Cruel sarcasm.
Humiliation disguised as humor.
Explosive anger.
Words designed to manipulate.
Half-truths intended to damage someone's reputation.
Sexually degrading conversation.
Constant complaining.
Words that deliberately discourage someone who is already hurting.
A person can have a perfectly clean vocabulary and still have a filthy mind or tongue.
And another person can occasionally stumble like a sailor so to speak in their speech yet genuinely repent, grieve over it, and desire to honor Christ.
The issue is not merely vocabulary.
The issue is the heart under the vocabulary.
The tongue can build a house or burn one down
James does not minimize the power of speech.
In James 3:1–12, he compares the tongue to a bit controlling a horse, a rudder directing a ship, and a fire capable of causing enormous destruction.
That is sobering.
One sentence can stay in someone's memory for decades.
A father can forget that he said it.
A child may never forget hearing it.
A husband may consider his words “just frustration.”
His wife may carry them into the night.
A Christian may think a joke was harmless.
Someone listening may have quietly walked away wounded.
Words are said to leave fingerprints on the soul.
That is why Proverbs says:
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” — Proverbs 18:21
And:
“The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.” — Proverbs 15:2 esv
The tongue is small, but it is not insignificant.
Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can say is nothing
Scripture does not command us to have an opinion about everything.
Proverbs 10:19 gives us a needed warning:
“When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” — esv
There are moments when wisdom says:
Wait.
Listen.
Pray.
Check the facts.
Calm down.
Ask whether this is actually your place to speak.
Ask whether your words will help or merely release your frustration.
Ask whether you are about to correct someone because you love them or because you are angry with them.
That is why these principles are helpful:
When should I hold my tongue? When the Holy Spirit says to. Let Him guide.
When I am angry at sinners or carnal Christians.
Proverbs 14:17 warns about the foolishness of a quick temper. Anger can make us say what wisdom would never approve.
If I don't currently love righteousness to the same degree that God does or even hate sin like He does, then guess what... there's overgrowth in me. God loves sinners and saints -- do I? How depraved am I? "But for the grace of God go I" (Yes, I am capable of doin' the same or worse things than any sinner or misguided saint.)
When I don't know what I am talking about.
Proverbs 18:13 warns against answering a matter before hearing it.
When the information has not been established.
Deuteronomy 17:6 establishes the seriousness of verified testimony and witnesses. Scripture does not treat accusations casually.
When my words could unrighteously wound someone. Could my respectful but direct words help someone I love who is living in their sin ..to wake up.. to sober up? Then say something with the right tone, at the right time.
1 Corinthians 8:11 reminds us that careless liberty can damage another believer.
When my speech would dishonor Christ.
1 Peter 2:21–23 points us toward Christ, who suffered without responding to abuse with retaliatory speech.
When I am tempted to make sin sound even slightly acceptable.
Proverbs repeatedly contrasts wise speech with foolishness and wickedness.
When I am tempted to distort the truth.
Proverbs 19:5 warns that a false witness will not go unpunished.
When speaking would unnecessarily create strife.
Proverbs 20:3 says it is honorable to avoid strife.
When I have lost self-control.
Proverbs 25:28 compares a person without self-control to a city broken into and left without walls.
When I should be listening.
Proverbs repeatedly commends the teachable person who receives instruction. See Proverbs 12:15; 13:1; 18:13.
The point is not “Never speak.”
The point is: Don't let your emotions become your editor.
But silence is not always godliness
There is another side to this.
Opt to speak biblically. Biblical self-control does not mean becoming a coward who refuses to speak when truth or righteousness requires it.
Jesus spoke right as the Spirit led Him.
The prophets spoke as the Spirit led Him.
The apostles spoke as the Spirit led Him.
Paul spoke as the Spirit led Him.
Peter spoke as the Spirit led Him.
And sometimes love requires courageous words.
Speak when truth is being twisted and compromised.
Ephesians 4:15 calls believers to speak the truth in love.
Speak when vulnerable people need an advocate or protection.
Proverbs 31:8–9 calls us to speak for those who cannot adequately speak for themselves.
Speak wisely when a believer is caught in sin and restoration is needed. There is a time and a place. I don't want to embarrass anyone, but I want God's will to be done and His Kingdom to be built.
Galatians 6:1 calls spiritual believers to restore someone gently.
Speak when fear is tempting you to remain silent. Oftentimes, people are put at risk.
Peter and John said, in essence, that they could not stop speaking about what they had seen and heard (Acts 4:20).
Speak when God gives an appropriate opportunity to speak (you might not feel anything inside, but we don't walk by feelings).
Paul prayed for an open door to communicate the gospel (Colossians 4:2–4), and Colossians 4:6 says:
“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt.”
That is the balance.
Don't speak merely because you can.
Don't remain silent merely because speaking is uncomfortable.
Ask God for wisdom to know when to speak, what to say, how to say it, and when to stop.
There is a time to speak and a time to keep silent (Ecclesiastes 3:7).
Here's a simple “TONGUE” test:
Before the words leave your mouth, let your tongue pass through a spiritual checkpoint:
T — Think before you speak.
Pray first. Ask whether your words are true, necessary, loving, and honoring to Christ.
Proverbs 15:28.
O — Offer praise to God.
Let worship compete with complaining.
Hebrews 13:15.
N — Never spread gossip.
Do not become the delivery system for information God never authorized you to carry.
Proverbs 16:28.
G — Give words that build up.
Ask, “Will this strengthen, encourage, correct, comfort, or help?”
Ephesians 4:29.
U — Use fewer words when fewer words will do.
Wisdom does not need to fill every silence.
Proverbs 10:19.
E — Examine your heart.
Don't merely edit your vocabulary. Ask God to search the heart producing the vocabulary.
Matthew 12:34; Psalm 139:23–24.
That is a much better test than simply asking, “Did I cuss?”
Ask:
Did my words give grace?
What should replace corrupt speech?
Paul does not merely empty the mouth.
He fills it with something better.
Ephesians 4:29 says our words should build people up “according to their needs” and “give grace to those who hear.”
Think about that.
The Christian is called to become someone whose words leave people closer to truth, closer to Christ, stronger in faith, or more encouraged to obey God.
That does not mean flattering everybody.
Sometimes the most loving words are corrective.
But biblical correction is not verbal revenge.
Truth without love can become a weapon.
Love without truth can become sentimental deception.
Biblical speech brings truth and love together.
Jesus was never afraid to confront sin, but He was never careless with people.
He could speak hard truth to religious hypocrites and tender comfort to broken sinners.
That is Christlike communication.
Before you speak, remember the Cross
Here is perhaps the simplest test of all:
Think about the Lord's love for you before you speak about someone else.
You are speaking to someone who was created in God's image.
You are speaking to someone who may be carrying a burden you cannot see.
You are speaking to someone for whom Christ died.
And you are speaking before a God who hears every word.
Jesus warned:
“On the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” — Matthew 12:36, ESV
That ought to sober us.
But it should not merely frighten us.
It should transform us.
The gospel does not merely tell us, “Watch your mouth.”
The gospel tells us that Jesus Christ can change your heart.
The Holy Spirit produces a new kind of life, and that new life eventually begins showing up in our conversations.
The goal isn't to become someone who merely doesn't swear.
The goal is to become someone whose mouth belongs to Jesus.
Someone who can speak truth without cruelty.
Correction without contempt.
Conviction without condemnation.
Humor without humiliation.
Confidence without arrogance.
Passion without rage.
Silence without cowardice.
And encouragement without flattery.
As Frances Ridley Havergal wrote in her hymn Take My Life and Let It Be:
“Take my lips and let them be”
That is a beautiful prayer for Ephesians 4:29.
Lord, take my lips.
Take my conversations.
Take my reactions.
Take my jokes.
Take my frustrations.
Take my opinions.
Take my private conversations when nobody else is listening.
Take the words I speak at home after a long day.
Take the words I speak when someone irritates me.
Take the words I type when I am angry.
Take every word.
And let them belong to You.
Because the real victory is not simply getting bad words out of your vocabulary.
It is getting Christ so deeply into your heart that your vocabulary, your reactions, and your conversations increasingly begin to sound like someone who belongs to Him.
So before the next word leaves your mouth, pause.
Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it loving?
Is it helpful?
Is it timely?
Does it honor Christ?
Will it build up the person who hears it?
If yes, speak with courage.
If no, let wisdom put its hand over your mouth.
And if you fail, don't excuse it.
Confess it. Receive God's forgiveness. Ask for a clean heart. And speak differently next time.
The tongue can wound.
The tongue can deceive.
The tongue can destroy.
But surrendered to Christ, the same tongue can encourage the discouraged, defend the vulnerable, correct the wandering, proclaim the gospel, comfort the brokenhearted, strengthen believers, and praise the God who saved us.
Don't waste your words.
Your mouth is carrying something.
Let it carry grace.
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
Psalm 19:14
T - think, prepray about it, prethinkO - offer up thanks and worship to the LordN - never spreading gossipG - give out clean, honest words that build up and edify rather than tear downU - use fewer words -- say it conciselyE - examine your heart and re-examine it all
- True: Is the fact honest and real?
- Helpful: Would it help?
- Inspiring: Does it lift people up?
- Necessary: Should it really be said?
- Kind: Is it nice.. even to those who are not there?
#@*!%$#!&;#*!
