Word@Work Eph56 - Ephesians 5:4
Published: Fri, 12/12/08
Word@Work from BeaconLight
TALK OF THE TOWN
Ephesians 5:4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
Yesterday, we read that sexual immorality and greed were totally off-limits for Christians. They are both complaints against God, effectively saying that that He has not provided properly for us; that we are better off getting what we want for ourselves. Put like that, such behaviour seems rather selfish - which it is. Adding to the list of self-centredness is today's catalogue of verbal evil. 'Obscenity' really means speaking wrongly without any shame; 'foolish talk' means stupid words, and coarse joking means exactly what it says.
All this can be found in the staff-room, the coffee lounge, the bar and canteen; it can be heard at the 'corporate-social' and in team-bonding encounters. It is not just 'lads being lads' because the mouth-style is neither gender nor age specific. It cannot be defended by, "I didn't mean it", because it was intentional. And it is not confined to the shop floor because it can also be heard from the lips of artists, professionals, business executives, traders, and artisans; from those in public office and private businesses. It may be blatant or it might be sanitised or cleverly inserted into conversation. Whatever and however it is uttered, it should not be - if you are a Christian!
The only antidote to the selfish mouth starts with a revolution of thankfulness in the heart. When we shift the focus from making ourselves look big, to realising how big and kind and generous and loving God has been to us, thankfulness should start to creep in. And the more thankful we are, the less we will want to indulge in silly talk: apart from anything else, we will start to feel shame because we will remember that the lord is listening too. So don't get sucked into the style of conversation around you - just tell people how kind the Lord has been to you ... it may start a revolution in their thinking too.
Prayer: Dear Father God. I needed this reminder of Your true greatness and my rather puny attempts to make myself look big as I open my mouth. Help me to keep recalling the vastness of Your mercy, even forgiving my foolish talking, and the hugeness of Your grace providing me with everything I need to live in peace with you. And help me to let others know that I really am grateful to You too. In Jesus' name. Amen.
You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and Spanish
Yesterday, we read that sexual immorality and greed were totally off-limits for Christians. They are both complaints against God, effectively saying that that He has not provided properly for us; that we are better off getting what we want for ourselves. Put like that, such behaviour seems rather selfish - which it is. Adding to the list of self-centredness is today's catalogue of verbal evil. 'Obscenity' really means speaking wrongly without any shame; 'foolish talk' means stupid words, and coarse joking means exactly what it says.
All this can be found in the staff-room, the coffee lounge, the bar and canteen; it can be heard at the 'corporate-social' and in team-bonding encounters. It is not just 'lads being lads' because the mouth-style is neither gender nor age specific. It cannot be defended by, "I didn't mean it", because it was intentional. And it is not confined to the shop floor because it can also be heard from the lips of artists, professionals, business executives, traders, and artisans; from those in public office and private businesses. It may be blatant or it might be sanitised or cleverly inserted into conversation. Whatever and however it is uttered, it should not be - if you are a Christian!
The only antidote to the selfish mouth starts with a revolution of thankfulness in the heart. When we shift the focus from making ourselves look big, to realising how big and kind and generous and loving God has been to us, thankfulness should start to creep in. And the more thankful we are, the less we will want to indulge in silly talk: apart from anything else, we will start to feel shame because we will remember that the lord is listening too. So don't get sucked into the style of conversation around you - just tell people how kind the Lord has been to you ... it may start a revolution in their thinking too.
Prayer: Dear Father God. I needed this reminder of Your true greatness and my rather puny attempts to make myself look big as I open my mouth. Help me to keep recalling the vastness of Your mercy, even forgiving my foolish talking, and the hugeness of Your grace providing me with everything I need to live in peace with you. And help me to let others know that I really am grateful to You too. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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