The above quote by Julian Fellowes makes a great point:
"Vulgarity is no substitute for wit" is true!
You who are parents know how quickly your children pick up on what they hear...and repeat it. Lately we've been working with the man who is now living with us on this very thing. He's known no different for decades, but the other day after hearing him let out a string of unnecessary language (mostly to himself and somewhat under his breath) I teasingly suggested he "cast his potty mouth out into the lake next time he goes fishing".
This has opened the door for a couple follow up discussions regarding the way we talk and has given my husband and I a chance to share with him that what comes out of his mouth -- is a reflection of what's in his heart.
I came across this blog posting and wanted to share -- it hits on some of the very things we've been discussing at our house. Language and what language we tolerate is just one more thing that I feel Christians are becoming complacent about. It seems like many have adopted the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality which saddens me.
Disclaimer: In no way is this blog post meant to imply that I've never had a slip of the tongue or don't ever say things I shouldn't but I think it's important to reflect on the reality behind trying to eliminate those from our lives.
This is a quick read -- but great if you're one who needs to push the "reset" button for your brain, and mouth :)
Original author is noted below.
I
honestly never thought I’d see the day when Christians would justify swearing.
I
lived a sheltered life growing up. My Christian parents allowed me to watch a
re-release of Gone With the Wind at the local theater when I
was 12, and my virgin ears were scandalized when Rhett Butler told Scarlett,
“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” I had never heard such language—and I
knew that if I ever talked like Rhett Butler in my house, I would be sent to
the backyard to choose my own switch.
Fast-forward
to today, when profanity has so saturated our culture that dirty words are
unavoidable. Dropping the F-bomb is a daily habit for millions of Americans.
Jesse Sheidlower, the editor-at-large of the Oxford English Dictionary, says
the F-word has lost its shock value. He says, “For most people, it’s hardly
noticeable anymore.”
Today
students wear “WTF?” T-shirts to school. I’ve seen the F-word indelibly
tattooed on people’s arms in dark blue ink. And I’ve heard guys and girls alike
use the F-word more than 15 times in a sentence to simply describe their day.
There’s even a mock children’s book titled Go the F*** to Sleep that
was one of the fastest-selling titles on Amazon in 2011. What’s going on here?
Music
has certainly played a role in forcing the F-word on us. (Listen if you dare to
any popular hip-hop artist for proof of this nastiness.) One song by the rock
band Limp Bizkit a few years ago featured the F-word 50 times. American rapper
CeeLo Green released a song in 2010 called F*** You, and it
was nominated for a Grammy Award. Meanwhile, the Motion Picture Association of
America recently relaxed its ratings code to allow more uses of the F-word in
PG-13 movies. (The old rule only allowed one F-bomb per film.)
I’m
not going on a crusade to wash out our nation’s potty mouth. We live in a free
country. And besides, I don’t expect non-Christians to talk like Sunday school
teachers. But at the risk of sounding like a prude, I think true believers need
to be reminded that it’s not okay to talk trash. This
certainly goes for preachers—no matter how young and trendy they are.
I
honestly never thought I’d see the day when Christians would justify swearing.
But it was only inevitable, since many popular preachers have emphasized greasy
grace while overlooking our serious lack of discipleship. The underlying
message these days is: “Don’t be religious or legalistic. We have to be
relevant to the culture.” The implied meaning is: “Go ahead and talk dirty. God
doesn’t care. Maybe when non-Christians hear you swearing, they won’t label you
a religious nut.” I’m not buying that line for three reasons:
1.
Filthy talk defiles you and those around you. Jesus
said it is not what goes into the mouth of a person that defiles him, but what
comes out of his mouth (Matt. 15:11). Then the apostle Paul wrote, “Let no
corrupting talk come out of your mouths” (Eph. 4:29, ESV). The word corrupting here
refers to rotten fruit or rancid fish. Filthy talk stinks! Dirty words have the
power to soil you—and the rancid odor will linger in your soul.
2.
Obscene or crude language is a reflection of your inner character. British preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, “Beware
of everyone who swears: he who would blaspheme his Maker would make no bones of
lying or stealing.” Ephesians 5:4 says filthy talk or crude joking are not
“befitting” a Christian (ASV). The NIV translates it this way: “Nor should
there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place.” If
a Christian defiantly insists on talking trash, he has revealed deeper flaws
and can’t be trusted.
3.
Rough language is a sign of an unsurrendered will. The psalmist wrote, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my
mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Ps. 141:3, ESV). Mature
Christians invite the Holy Spirit to inspect every area of their lives:
attitudes, thoughts, grudges and addictions—as well as coarse language. If you
insist on holding on to carnal habits, you are quenching the Spirit’s fire.
Your spiritual growth will be forever stunted.
The
prophet Isaiah recognized that he was “a man of unclean lips” who lived among
“a people of unclean lips” (Is. 6:5). After his repentance, an angel touched
his lips with the hot coal of God’s holiness. We need this miracle today if we
want to speak for God.
God
wants to use our mouths as channels of His life and blessing, but we will never
be His prophets if we talk like the world. Let God clean up your conversation.
