I'm not one to swear much. In fact, I hardly ever swear, and when I do it's typically muttered under my breath. I grew up learning that some words were bad and should never be said. But this blog post isn't about swearing.
I recently watched a video (at the bottom of the post) where Paul Tripp was talking about what makes bad language bad. And what started as an explanation of why a certain swear word in particular is not always unwholesome language, it convicted me in other ways that I use language.
I don't swear (a lot). I don't use culturally "dirty" language. But I do speak unwholesome talk far too often. I mask my "clean" vocabulary with sarcasm, with biting comments that are not always ill-intended but wound others more often than I'd like. I try to use humor to make people laugh, but there are times when I am simply exposing flaws in others and putting them down. The vast majority of the time, I don't intentionally use my words to bring others down, but I let my tongue slip in a way that communicates that I care more about being funny/looking good/impressing others than I do about loving others well.
How should we communicate then? Let's look at what the Bible says about that:
"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
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." -Colossians 4:6
Our words are just another way that we should be pointing people to Christ. I look at these verses and I think of how often I screw this up, and I also notice how strongly these are worded. "Do not let ANY unwholesome talk..." "ALWAYS FULL of grace" This is a zero tolerance command.
I love the way that Paul Tripp puts it: "The Bible says that wholesome communication is intended to give grace to the hearer...I'm called to love you like Christ loved me. What is that love? It's easily defined: It's willing self-sacrifice for the redemptive good of another."
My words are not a way for me to lift up and glorify myself. They are a way to glorify Christ and show others the grace He has shown me. Sometimes, that requires self-sacrifice: holding back a joke that will make fun of others or resisting to make a sarcastic comment when I'm not happy about something.
I want to love others well. I want to be encouraging in my conversations. I want to only say what is helpful for building others up. I want to point others to the God that has forgiven me of all my sins. I invite you to join me.
