Speak Life
A couple of friends and I were talking the other day at the dinner table about whether or not it would be rude if one of the men talked to me about his thoughts concerning a female officer's voluptuous figure. He asked me my opinion. I then asked him why he would be talking about that.
Since that time this conversation has been on my mind a lot. Are the things we talk about all that important? Do our conversations really build one another up? Do they have any meaning? Or, are most of our conversations mere chatter rather than about real life. Do we waste oxygen on inconsequential banter, or do we talk about things of importance, like kingdom building concepts?
While thinking about this, I started outlining (in my mind) everything I could remember about what Jesus and the writers of the Bible said concerning our words and conversation. Jesus said it is not the food going into the body that makes us impure but the words coming out of our mouths. This is so because they come from the seat of our will and emotions (our hearts) (Matthew 15:15-20). Paul said we should not let any unwholesome words come out of our mouths (Ephesians 4:29). In another place, he said our conversation should be seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6). We are instructed to speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19). In fact, it is said that we shall be judged for every careless word we speak (Matthew 12:36-37). Wasn't it James who said the tongue is a fire, and it starts fires (James 3:1-11).
I am not saying that we cannot talk about politics, football, or a movie we watched. I just think we should be more careful about what we are speaking, and how we say those things. I know this well. Out of my mouth fall some of the most worldly things. I sit there and wonder, "Why in blazes did I say that?" I cannot take it back, and everyone who heard what I said is affected.
There is a popular song out now called "Speak Life." I guess that is what I would like to encourage you to do. Speak life into your sphere of influence. Speak life into your job. Speak life into your family.
Wherever you are…speak life.