"Watch your mouth, boy."

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen… Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” –(Ephesians 4: 29, 31, 32)
“Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” (Ephesians 5: 4)

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Once long ago when I was a boy I got my mouth washed out with soap. It didn't taste good. I can't remember what I said, but I distinctly remember being taught a lesson. I came very near to throwing up. Maybe some crusading child rights activists would wag their heads proclaiming it was abuse, but I wouldn't. It taught me a lesson. I never took up swearing, nor lying or smart-mouthing. It must have worked. So in that sense a minute of soap in my mouth really did clean it out. I cleaned up my act, and my words, at least.

James must have had the ability to see far into the future when he wrote: “All kinds of animals, birds and reptiles are being tamed and have been tamed by man [consider Shamu, the orca!], but no man can tame the tongue.” (James 3:7-8) Our society is filled with words that simply are out of control. Like feral cats: our words roam the gutters and back alleys, dis-sing a person here, putting down a person there. We use profanity as if those words were included in the first hundred most essential core words of a beginning vocabulary. For some people, sadly enough, cuss words were probably among the first hundred words they learned or heard when they were but infants. Fortunately my parents ran a tight ship without resorting to the salty language of sailors.

Paul knew that people grow up with foul language, lying and slander when he helped the Ephesians remember their former selves, before they had received the good news of Christ Jesus. It probably wasn’t hard for them to recall the sharp, biting, condescending words that had laced their speech. How often had they tried to manipulate others, lying to get someone in trouble or in attempt to avoid responsibility? How often had they sworn and cussed their way into a rage, throwing gasoline on a fire, a heated conversation that exploded into violence, hatred and loathing? Jesus had taught that it wasn’t what went into your mouth that made you unclean, but what came out of your mouth. Our words simply mirror our hearts, who we are inside. We are only as clean inside as the words that come out. Paul knew this. He also knew that since the Ephesians, like us, are being changed into Christ’s likeness (that’s what we are becoming: like Christ, “Christ-ians”), we must “put away the old nature.” It takes our conscious effort. God’s Holy Spirit eagerly waits for our cooperation in this matter: He will do it if and when we let Him. He will make foul language taste sour and bitter like vomit on our tongues if we think about Him and how gracious He has been to us. But we must do our part and turn our thoughts, desires, hopes and words towards Him.

Today, offer God your language. God has already offered His language to you in Jesus, His Word. He has also offered His language to you in the words of the scripture. If you have trouble today, and this week, keeping your language clean, upbeat, positive, supportive and gracious, simply practice God’s language out loud. Read Ephesians 4: 17—32 and 5: 1—21 today. Let the words taste like honey. Read them slowly, even if you don’t understand every last verse.

Remember the way kids used to sing-song back to a bully’s taunt: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” The Bible teaches us that this isn’t true, and we know it very well. Words can and do hurt. They can wound far worse than thrown stones. They can be like a forest fire, out of control. They can burn, sting, slice, and bruise. But James says that this should not be allowed among those of us who have been saved, and are being saved each day. “Out of the same mouth comes cursing and blessing. Brothers and sisters, this should not be so!” (James 3: 10)

Today, let your words be as beneficial to others as you possibly can speak them. Think before you speak. Calculate words that bless, uplift, humor, and encourage others. The idea of “wholesome” language means words that help you and others to become more whole: More wholly (completely) you and more God’s idea of you.