Set an example in speech...

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech…” (1 Timothy 4:12, NIV)

I ran across a YouTube video this week that set me to thinking on this matter. The pastor in this video is preaching about God’s desire for marriages to be strong. He seems to be genuinely concerned for the people he’s speaking to. You can tell he wants healing to come to every relationship that’s been messed up by sin.

Then, while sitting on a stool talking about what God wants for husbands and wives, he uses an unbelievably vulgar word. I mean, we’re talking an R-rated word – a word that’s inappropriate in any setting, let alone a church service. And he seemed unrepentant. He didn’t stop and apologize. He didn’t blush. He just kept preaching like nothing had happened.

That my friends is not how God wants us to speak. It is not the example the young are called to set for believers. Unfortunately, it is the kind of language far too many are using on a regular basis.

In Ephesians 4:29 Paul says, “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.” (NIV)

Filthy language, coarse joking, using God’s name in vain – are all unwholesome. They’re uncalled for whether they’re spoken out loud or abbreviated on Facebook or Twitter or Messenger. OMG. IFLY. LMAO. WTF. All inappropriate.

Reject the world’s standards. Ignore your peers when they say it’s no big deal. How you speak matters! Don’t gossip. Don’t slander. Don’t insult. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up…”

Make it a point to encourage others whenever you can. Make it your practice to always speak the truth in love. Make sure your words draw people to Jesus rather than chase them away from him.

To receive my once or twice weekly message via email, send a blank email to webmessage-subscribe@associate.com. Past messages are available at freegroups.net/groups/webmessage.