Do you remember singing the words to that song when you were little? “For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little mouth what you say.” What a great reminder! It doesn’t matter how old we are, we all need to reflect on the fact that our mouths were made to glorify God.
The Bible says, “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) The apostle Paul wrote, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:6) And Jesus gave a startling warning when he said, “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthew 5:22)
God’s word has a sobering way of reminding us of God’s perspective on issues. We were made to glorify Him and that means we are to be thoughtful about how we speak. Are we using our mouths for their intended purpose or are we degrading them by filling them with foul speech? Are we using them to tear others down and to lift ourselves up? These questions are important to ask because the society we live in is constantly pushing the envelope with coarse language. Christians have a reason to speak differently and we need to remind ourselves of that and recognize the difference between how we speak and how the world speaks.
I’ve been thinking about this recently because of the rise of foul language being used in public. Have you noticed it as well? It has been especially apparent to me in youth sports. In the past people would have watched their language around children, but this last year it was significantly worse. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t overreacting so I did a little research to see if anyone else had written about this topic.
Anne Marie Chaker wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal last year that addressed this issue. She referenced research done on Facebook and Twitter that showed a clear rise in foul language online. Another article from last year, which appeared in The Guardian, quoted from a study that concluded people are using more swear words in common speech now than they were five years ago. There was a generational difference as well. Those over 55 years old were less likely to swear in public, while respondents who were ages 18-24 were more likely to do so. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/10/swearing-on-rise-but-parents-still-dont-want-kids-hearing-it-report-finds
There has been a rise in foul language and as Christians we need to be aware of it and we need to make sure that we are not getting sucked into the habits of our culture. We need to have a realistic view of our speech, one that is informed by passages in the Bible like James 3:8-10 “But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it 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.”
James’ insight is honest and perceptive. All humans struggle to tame their tongues because all humans are naturally selfish and proud. To really get to the heart of the problem of foul speech, each person must be humbled and realize that they will never be able to speak the way God intended unless they repent of their sin and trust that God made a way for their sin to be paid for. The solution to sin is the cross. Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for our sin. If we repent and put our faith in the atoning work of Christ then our sins will be forgiven and we will be spiritually born again. Once that happens, the Christian has a new outlook on life. He has a new reason to live. He is not living for his own praise and glory. He is living for the glory of God and that affects every word that comes out of his or her mouth. May God help us live and speak in a way that is pleasing to Him.
