It is the first day of spring 2020. The cold is ceding its place to warmth, new plants are shooting from the ground, trees are regaining their exquisite foliage, and flowers are coming out of their bud.
For some of us, spring is also a time to deep clean our houses after its winter hibernation, especially for those who live in colder climates. And as we begin opening our windows to let fresh air replace the stale, I think we could do the same with our mouths.
Our mouths harbor one of the deadliest and most powerful weapon known to man: the tongue. With it, we can cause life and death (Proverbs 18:21). It’s so powerful that the Bible says it can set on fire the course of nature (James 3:6).
Moreover, as the quality of fruits determines the nature of a tree, our words reflect the content of our hearts (Matthew 12:34). And by our words, we will be judged.
Matthew 12:36-37 says, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words, you will be condemned.”
Jesus said we would be judged on every careless, idle, or inactive word. So even though most of us will probably never use our tongues to start wars or sentence people to death, we might still be guilty of using it unprofitably. And here are six things we must remove from our speech to avoid that.
1. Complaints
Complaining is as natural to us as breathing. It has become a form of expression and a way to connect with others. For instance, gathering with colleagues after a long week and complaining about our work. Or complaining about the weather as a means of small talk to others. Complaints are so abundant in our speech that it frequently goes unnoticed and unchallenged.
But it is a sin, a sign of rebellion against a sovereign God. With each complaint we make, we set ourselves as our god and decree, we know better than the almighty One and could do better. God hates such pride and has severely disciplined offenders in the past (Numbers 14:26-29).
He instructed us in His Word to “do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians 2:14-15)
Cleaning solution: Turn our complaints to gratitude. When a grumbling tries to escape our mouths like a thief in the night, we must seize it captive, transform it into thanksgiving, and rejoice.
2. Curses
I am sure most of us know better than to use profane language and cuss words. However, there are a couple of ways we may frequently curse that isn’t pleasing to the Lord.
The first one is by using God’s name as a cuss word. It irks me when non-believers use Jesus’s name to curse and even preface it with the f-word. But it annoys me more when Christians do it. We should know better! In biblical times, the Jews had such reverence for the name of the Lord that they didn’t even dare pronounce it out loud. So, where do we get off today using God’s name as a curse word? It’s a lack of reverence, and it does not honor Him.
The second one is cursing other image-bearers. The Bible makes it clear that our mouths must be a fountain of blessings, not cursing. James 3:9-10 says, “With it (our tongue), we bless our Lord and Father, and with it, we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.”
Therefore, insults, name-calling, hate speech, slurs, etc. mustn’t have a residence in our mouths.
Cleaning solution: Replace cusses with praises. When someone offends you, bless them, don’t insult them. And please don’t attack or insult people on social media. Too many Christians do that.
3. Gossip
It’s a common practice in our world to talk about others behind their backs. It may begin with phrases like “have you heard what he did?” or “did you see what she was wearing?” which then evolve into gossiping. I guess we do it because we have within us an insatiable beast that loves to feed on the latest juicy gist and share it.
But we must starve it to death because the Bible speaks powerfully against gossips and slanderers (Leviticus 19:16, Proverbs 11:12-13; 16:28; 20:19; 18;7-8, Romans 1:29-32, 1 Timothy 5:12-13).
Gossip is so ubiquitous among us because we often disguise it and call it something else. So let set the record straight. In Hebrew, a gossip is “one who reveals secret.” The Cambridge English dictionary defines it as “conversations or reports about other people’s private lives that might be unkind, disapproving, or not true.”
So divulging private information in the guise of “sharing our concerns” is gossip. Asking to pray for a friend and provide revelatory details about his/her situation is gossip.
There are, of course, some occasions when we can legitimately reveal information to others without it being a sin. Matthew 18:15-17 is an example. But it isn’t always the case, and our heart intent and the type of information revealed makes the difference.
Cleaning solution: Pray for others instead of talking about them. If someone comes to you with a gossip, refuse to engage in the conversation. It is better to offend them than to offend God.
4. Lies
We all know that lying is a sin (Leviticus 19:11; Proverbs 12:22). It’s one of the ten commandments, and I am sure most of us avoid it like the plague. But what about those times when we dress up our lies and try to pass it as something else, so it no longer looks like a sin?
For example, those little white lies we say here and there, when we stretch the truths to a breaking point, or when we are untruthful in the name of humor? Well, the Bible doesn’t say, thou shall not lie unless it’s a white lie, or unless it’s funny. It says we must not lie at all.
Sure, little lies do not seem evil; sometimes, we might even do it with noble intentions. But there is no provision for being untruthful, and there is no such thing as a necessary lie or a helpful lie. To be knowingly deceitful is a sin, and God hates all sin.
Besides, Jesus is the truth, and the devil is the Father of lies. Whose step do you want to follow?
Cleaning solution: always tell the truth. It is better to say a hard truth than to lie, but if you can’t do it, just keep quiet. Also, try not to exaggerate facts, because it is a stepping stone to lying.
5. Sarcasm
I learned sarcasm at the feet of Chandler Bing in the TV show Friends. His caustic and witty humor ignited in me a deep love for sarcasm that I nurtured for years. But as much as I don’t want to, sarcasm also needs to be cleaned out.
Sarcasm is a kind of humor that makes fun of people. It is defined as “the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.” The goal is usually to make another person look stupid, and it is often insulting, harsh, and hurtful.
Sure, it can be very funny, but it is generally at someone’s expense. And that goes directly against the teachings of Jesus to love one another. Sarcasm and other forms of crude humor and jokes that belittle others are not appropriate for Christians.
Cleaning solution: Just don’t be sarcastic! If you use irony or satire, make sure it is not to offend or mock others.
6. Swear/oaths
I often see people preface their opinions, with “my honest.” For instance, my honest review, or my honest thoughts, etc. Such headlines always make me smile because it implies everything else that person said is not truthful. I often do the same. Sometimes I find myself saying things like “to be honest,” “or in all honesty,” in conversations.
However, for a Christian such warning should be unnecessary.
We must always be honest and truthful. James 5:12 says, our yes must be yes and our no must always be no. And he got it straight from Jesus’ lips (Matthew 5:37). This means we shouldn’t make oaths or statements that add to our credibility. Most important of all, we must not swear on the Lord’s name —or anything else for that matter (Matthew 5:34-36)
Phrases like, “I swear to God if…,” “God be my witness I…,” “God’ honest truth,” and the likes should disappear from our speech without a trace. If you must make an oath using God’s name —like in a court of law, best be sure you will honor it. Otherwise, you would have used His name in vain, and that’s a sin (Exodus 20:7)
Cleaning solution: Live your life in such a way that people need not doubt your word and avoid adding oaths or expressions to emphasize your truthfulness.
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:29
I know this list might sound too serious, especially when most of the items (if not all), are ubiquitous in our culture. But as Christians, we are called to a higher standard of living. We are called to holiness. We must be holy as our heavenly Father is holy, and none of the things mentioned above help us in that endeavor. Besides, it’s better to err on the side of caution.
So, let’s deep clean our speech and honor our thrice holy God!
