JESUS SPEAKS

“Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” (Matthew 15: 10 – 11) […..] “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.” (Matthew 15: 16 – 18)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The religious leaders were convinced that ritualistic hand washing was a necessary practice; especially prior to eating. By cleansing their hands, they believed they could avoid accidentally ingesting anything unclean that might defile them spiritually in the sight of God. Jesus corrected this belief however; insisting that the words that come out of a person’s mouth is what defiles them, rather than what goes in.

Many years ago, I made the mistake of believing that a certain professional athlete was a Christian. He outwardly proclaimed his faith and seemed committed to certain Christian causes. I even recall speaking about his faith to others on several occasions. Unfortunately, one evening he tweeted out a disturbing message. He had gone to see an erotic and nearly pornographic movie in the theaters. And then, in reference to the film, he tweeted, “Great Movie.” Almost immediately his Christian followers abandoned him (and rightly so.)

In a somewhat similar way, as Christians we are representing God, and in turn, a single foul word, dirty joke, or perverse association can defile our entire witness; causing others to question our faith. We are called to guard our hearts and mouths, and to speak only what is clean and correct. We read in Ephesians 4: 29, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” May we all avoid using dirty language, and learn to speak only what is good and right.

“Lord Heavenly Father, may all honor and glory be Yours, forevermore. As we go out into the world, may we consider carefully what we say, and avoid using dirty, foul, or crude language. May others notice our commitment to what is right and be drawn to You. Let purity reign in our hearts and minds as we serve others in Your name. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!