The rhetoric erupting
from our current culture reflects a loss of the ability to communicate one’s
beliefs and opinions in a respectful and winsome way. Wherever you turn, one
sees verbal tirades flowing from the mouths of people who feel they are
justified in giving people a piece of their mind. Often such speech reflects
more negatively upon the character of the speaker than the one they are
lambasting.
In the political arena the way candidates
speak to one another has become so repulsive that many are beginning to ignore
their dialogue. They do not want to listen to another harangue from a political
leader displaying a character that one would not condone from a preschooler. It
is hard to imagine wanting a leader to represent our nation who conducts themselves
in a manner that thwarts clear communication, cooperation, and negotiation. Shock
speech may make good sound bites, but it does little to develop dialogue between
people of opposing views.
In the field of entertainment many stars
have replaced four letter words for meaningful insights. How often one has to
be bleeped by a program sensor does not measure passion; it measures crudeness.
How sad that a person carrying the label “star” cannot construct a sentence
without profanity. Perhaps assigning the title of “star” to such individuals
reflects the state of our nation’s cultural character. A culture’s heroes
reflect what a culture applauds, tolerates, and even expects. If this is true, our
national character is sorely in need of refurbishing.
Even in churches there are evidences that careless
speech has invaded the lives of those who are supposed to represent God as His
ambassador. Occasionally one will hear a preacher justify his “colorful” speech
as necessary to connect with contemporary culture. So they resort to crude,
rude, or even questionable speech. However, an ambassador is to reflect the one
they represent regardless of the circumstances in which they find themselves.
If one is an ambassador of Christ, then they ought to reflect His character.
Rick Warren notes, “Character is never built in a classroom. Character is built
in the circumstances of life.” In the face of mistreatment Christ controlled His
speech “While being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He
uttered no threats” (1 Peter 2:23). We should expect His ambassadors to reflect
such control of their speech.
The Bible clearly portrays our speech as a
reflection of our character – what is really in the control center of our life.
Jesus taught, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his
heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his
heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45). One’s
speech is revealing and a good litmus test of what a person is really like. If
lies and unguarded speech flow from a person’s mouth, you know what is really
lurking in their life regardless of their personal assurances.
The Bible also reveals that one’s speech is
a measure of a person’s self-control. The Apostle James stresses that faith is
revealed by deeds (James 2:18). Shortly thereafter he points to the deed that
is most revealing – ones speech. James 3:2 says, “If you could find someone
whose speech was perfectly true, you’d have a perfect person, in perfect
control of life” (MSG). The verses following in James 3 illustrate both how
difficult and necessary it is to control our speech. How disappointed I have
been at times when my words reflected that I was under control of my misguided
emotion rather than displaying the fruit of the Spirit which is self-control
(Galatians 5:23).
When our speech is reflecting the
character of Christ in our lives and the regulating control of the Spirit is displayed
in our lives, then certain qualities are manifested in our speech. There are
many described in the Bible but three come to mind. First, our speech will be
gracious. Colossians 4:6 says, “Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to
bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them
out” (MSG). One saint of old well said, “Speech… ought to be in a graceful way,
with a cheerful and pleasant countenance, in an affable and courteous manner,
and not after a morose, churlish, and ill-natured fashion.” Wouldn’t that
change the dialogue of our contemporary culture!
Speech should reflect a quality that is
healthy. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or
dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift” (MSG). We
live in a wounded world. Words that create infection should be avoided as much
as dirty utensils in an operating room. How often words do more damage than
good as they are released into conversations.
A final quality that comes to mind is
respectful speech. 1 Peter 3:15 “Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks
why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy” (MSG).
How often we see people who appear pleased when they have put people down and
overlooked the possibility of building people up by “speaking the truth in
love” (Ephesians 4:15). Truth needs love, but love always speaks the truth.
As a child I was taught a simple chorus in Sunday
School that said, “O be careful little mouth what you say,
O be careful little
mouth what you say, There's a Father up above, And He's looking down in love, So,
be careful little mouth what you say.” Maybe we need to heed that reminder more
often!
