Watch Your Mouth

“If we truly believe God is worthy of our very lives, we wouldn’t dream of using our speech to tear down others or act out in anger.”

“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” Colossians 3:8 (ESV)

God’s word is clear. Anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk are not to be a part of our lives as Christians. Wrath and righteous anger belong to the Lord alone. He is perfectly just, and will bring punishment and rewards accordingly. We need to simply trust He will act at the appropriate time. We are not to make ourselves the judge over others, especially in anger, or with malice, or in a wrathful manner.

Slander and obscene talk seem to be more acceptable sins, but Paul is clear that they are sins that need to be cut out of our lives.. Yet it is easy to participate in them, most often when we are surrounded by those who are engaging in slander or gossip. 

So why are we not to slander or talk obscenely? Because we’re good Christians, and that’s just what we do? The answer is far more deep than that. James writes, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” (James 3:9-10, NIV) 

If we are to live out the commandment of Colossians 3:8, we must have the correct, biblical perspective on both who God is and who others are. God is the creator of everything, including us and those around us. We are all made in the image of God. Therefore, we should not treat another person, made in the likeness of God Himself, as anything different. There are not enough superlatives to describe God’s character. Yet all that He is (ie. good, loving, gracious, etc.) leads to worship of Him. Why, as the passage in James states, would we bless the Lord and then let obscene talk come out of the same mouth we just blessed the Lord with? 

Our verse for today is not simply a call to live as good Christians, but rather a call to reorient our perspective of God and of others. If we truly believe God is worthy of our very lives, we wouldn’t dream of using our speech to tear down others or act out in anger. We instead should be willing to use our lives, which includes our speech, to build up others and to praise God, who is worthy of our worship.

Action Steps:

• Next time you feel tempted to engage in anger, wrath, malice, slander, or obscene talk, remember who the Lord is, who you are in Christ, and that others are created in the very image of God.

• If you feel especially tempted or fall into sin in these specific areas, start to notice or track patterns or times in which you engage in these particular sins. That way you will be able to avoid those situations or be better prepared to face them with integrity.

Written by Michelle, mom of 1