Unwholesome Speech Begone

My pastor convicted me Sunday morning. My mom holds me accountable too when my posts have expletives in them.

I’ve started some new year’s resolutions this year, and I am adding one. I will not use expletives in my posts any more. I’m not doing it because of my pastor or my mom, but I am doing it because God has convicted me through my mom and pastor that even when my clinical depression displays symptoms of angry outbursts I need to be using words that build others up and give them hope.

I’m not binding this on you, and I’m not loosing you to use expletives. That’s between God, you and your circle of influence.

Much of this thinking has originated, not from my pastor and mom, rather it has come from my meditation on The Message version of James 1:2-8. Here that is in its entirety.

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that’s a picture of the “prosperous life.” At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer.

So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.

I usually don’t provide Scripture because it is available in your own Hebrew text, Greek text, translation or paraphrase, but Dr. Peterson’s The Message paraphrase really touched me deeply. It spoke into other areas of my life that I will write about later.

Thank you one and all for following my drivel, and I trust that as I journey through my life and blog that you will draw closer to God.

Have a great week.
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