Just Shut Up

"Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place..."
 - Ephesians 5:4

You know what amazes me (and not in a good way)?  Christians who tell dirty jokes, swear and curse, use vulgar vocabulary and generally make me feel dirty from being in their company (or reading their posts on social media).

What is even worse, is when you bring this to their attention and it's met with a reaction that makes YOU feel like the guilty party.

There is no grey area here.  We are commanded to curb what comes out of our mouths.  It's never ok to cheapen the witness we have with double entendre or obscenities.  James 3:10-11 says "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers and sisters, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" 

Matthew 12:34 tells us, "For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."  Makes you stop and think about what's really on the inside of us, as that's what eventually makes its way out of us in our speech.  If you claim to be truly saved, and you spout forth filth, I urge you to examine your heart.  Better still, ask the Lord to search your heart as we're instructed in scripture.  Psalm 129:34 states, "Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."  If we pray this prayer, He will answer it.  We may not like what He reveals, but He will do it.  He promises to give wisdom to those who ask.  ("If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." - James 1:5).

We need to distance ourselves from this type of behaviour since bad company corrupts good character.  Whether you delete a friend on facebook because of their offensive posts, or gently rebuke a brother or sister in person, we need a zero tolerance policy. 

It saddens me greatly to admit that recently I have had to delete 2 previously respected Christian contacts on a social media site, due to coarse language and vulgarity.  One happened to be a Pastor, and one was a bible college graduate.   I can't rationalise that no matter how I try.  The way we handle criticism should surely be to examine ourselves, in the light of God's Word, and apologise and rectify it.  Too many people's witness is being called into question because of the compromises they are making in their walk.  It doesn't matter who is doing it - it's still wrong.  Simply put, I wish I had the nerve to tell these people to just "shut up".  But then maybe I'd be the one accused of being intolerant, rude and over-reacting.

God grant us the strength to choose NOT to walk to the beat of this world's drum.