On Sound Speech, Part 6
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Thankfully
We live under the shadow of God’s providence—his provision, his direction, his protection. All of our life springs from that truth. So when we speak to him, we should speak thankfully.
And when we speak to others, we should speak thankfully as well, because their presence in our lives, and the things their presence supplies, are all acts of God’s providence too.
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. (Ep 5.1-4)
Recognition of God’s care for us will make us thankful for the care of others. Thankful to God, and thankful to them—and thankful enough to be inclined to express that thankfulness verbally. Thankful enough not to undercut their joy with “filthiness, [or] foolish talking, [or] jesting.”
It’s worth noting here that the prohibition of “jesting” doesn’t mean we shouldn’t tell jokes or comment on funny things. That word is talking about so-called “locker-room talk”: crude or coarse or obscene speech. It makes no sense to talk that way to people we’re thankful for. As noted earlier, we’re called to build others up, not tear them down.
Blessing
Several passages speak of the importance of blessing, rather than cursing, with our words.
Therewith [i.e, with the tongue] bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. (Jam 3.9-10)
Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. (1P 3.9)
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. (Ro 12.14)
Of course, this idea derives from the principle of edification; cursing doesn’t build people up.
We live in a hostile age. A great many people are angry at those who disagree with them, and they feel free to express that anger frankly and publicly on social media. In a sense that’s not new; people have always been angry at those who disagree with them, but it hasn’t always been possible for pretty much anybody to be his own publisher. A generation or two ago, people used the privacy of their cars to cuss out other drivers in ways they would never do to their faces. The spirit of cursing has always been with us. (I should note, I suppose, that by “cursing” here I don’t mean using bad language; I mean the opposite of blessing.)
What does it take for us to be speakers of blessing rather than cursing?
Well, to start with, it means we have to pay attention—to notice the good things in others, and not just the good things they do for us (we’ve already mentioned thankfulness), but all their good qualities. We need to pay closer attention to those around us than we do to our own interests, of whatever sort.
It also means that we need to speak up about those things. For some of us that means overcoming shyness; for others it means getting serious instead of just joshing people all the time.
Sometimes, for the sort of blessing that is more appropriate in private, we need to seek out private time with the person in order to deliver that message—as a teacher, for example, I can’t comment on a student’s academic performance in front of other students. But very often, we ought to consider speaking that blessing publicly, so others will hear it, and so the person we’re blessing will know that others have heard it.
Dale Carnegie didn’t invent this idea; it comes straight from the Bible.
Yet more next time.
Dan Olinger Articles
Reposted with permission from Danolinger.com.
Dan Olinger Bio
Dr. Dan Olinger retired in 2025 after teaching at Bob Jones University for more than two decades, following 19 years as a writer, editor, and supervisor at BJU Press. He taught theology, New Testament, and Old Testament, with special interests in ecclesiology and the Pauline Epistles.
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We can overgeneralize, and start to proscribe some of the blunt things Jesus and the Prophets, among other heroes of Scripture, said, but on the flip side, I'm noticing in various areas a general cruelty that does not heed basic moral principles. Politically, there is a lot more "gotcha", and a lot less constructive debate, and the end result is that mostly those who "don't give a darn" run for office--honorable men and women aren't standing up. You see the same thing in a lot of corporate management, where men and women I'd gladly be led by say "no way" to management because of the cruelty exercised on people.
And at many churches.....the bright side is that a huge amount of blessing can be conferred as men of honor stand up and don't take part in the melee.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
Politically, there is a lot more “gotcha”, and a lot less constructive debate, and the end result is that mostly those who “don’t give a darn” run for office—honorable men and women aren’t standing up.
Yes, and the few who were largely gave up and quit. … at least, in Congress.
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
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