A private high school has instituted a “no foul language” pledge—only to female students. According to the school’s principal, the girls had been using the foulest language. (Hmm, I’m guessing the boys were guilty too!) So they were asked to raise their right hands and say: “I do solemnly swear not to use profanities of any kind within the walls and properties of Queen of Peace High School.” So, in essence, the students swore not to swear (to speak profanity).
According to Scripture, no external rule or pledge can fix the smell of foul speech. Jesus revealed that just as people know the kind of tree by the fruit it bears (Luke 6:43-44), so people know by what a person says whether his heart is pure or not. In this instruction, Jesus uses fruit to define spoken words, not a person’s works: “What you say flows from what is in your heart” (Luke 6:45).
The Savior was pointing out that if you really want to change a person’s speech, you have to go straight to the heart—not start with the mouth. A transformed heart will transform one’s speech. As David wrote, “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
We can’t change our words with pledges and swearing not to swear. We eliminate bad speech by letting the Holy Spirit change our hearts. The transformation begins when we confess Jesus as Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3). It continues as we invite the Holy Spirit to fill us.
And when He does, He inspires us to sing good words about God and His works (Ephesians 5:18-19). We will also begin to thank God for everything, speak in a way that’s gracious and tactful, and use words that are instructive and edifying (Ephesians 5:20, Ephesians 4:15,29; Colossians 4:6).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Luke 12:1-21
More:
Read Mark 7:14-23 to see what Jesus said will defile the heart.
Next:
What do your words/speech say about your heart? In what ways are you inviting the Holy Spirit to fill your heart and transform your speech?
Gary Shultz on August 5, 2015 at 7:05 am
It is very true that the ungraded mind produces uncontrolled speech. Usually it does not take much communication until it is punctuated by some nasty words. You now understand what company you stand with. Speech quickly revels the soul and that can be a wonderful thing. Gracious, guarded words are a great testimony. Thanks
jennifer benson schuldt on August 5, 2015 at 8:35 am
Trying to decide which books to read for the upcoming year with some dear women from church. I didn’t realize this, but one book had profane words in it that were blocked out except for the first letter. That’s still not okay, because the reader naturally fills in the rest of the word!! Thankfully, we dropped that title and found a new book. What we put in comes out. I’m thankful that the Bible is full of edifying, pure words. “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).
Mike Wittmer on August 5, 2015 at 9:38 pm
My friend gave me a book with all the bad words crossed off. He merely managed to highlight them. Foul speech hardens us and coarsens our culture. And it shows a lack of intelligence. If our sentence doesn’t make sense with the foul words removed, then we didn’t have much to say anyway.
Ruth O'reilly-smith on August 6, 2015 at 3:58 am
As a rebellious teenager I thought it was cool to swear and went to great lengths to listen out for and use every expletive I thought would add to the measure of my ‘coolness’. When I recommitted my life to Christ, I struggled to lose what had become an ingrained habit. It was only as I disciplined myself to focus on God’s Word and fill my thoughts with worship songs and prayers to the Lord that I was able to train my speech to be ‘always full of grace, seasoned with salt..’ (Colossians 4:6).