Where In The World Are You From?

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 4:24-27; Isaiah 6:5

Today's Treasure: "Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips" (Proverbs 4:24).

Like the prophet Isaiah, we live "among a people of unclean lips" (Isa. 6:5). Perverse language and corrupt talk so inundates our culture that we risk growing desensitized. How many times have we turned on the television and been shocked that a certain word was allowed to travel the public airways?

We grow accustomed to hearing one word just in time to hear another. In the name of entertainment, we have slowly and sometimes unknowingly lowered our standards. If we do not take great care to resist, we will likewise become men and women of "unclean lips."

What we hear has tremendous impact on how we talk. My thick Tex-Arkansan accent is a good example. I can't cross the Texas border without being asked, "Where in the world are you from?" I had no intention of developing another accent when I moved to Texas, but the more I heard the twang, the more I spoke the language.

Our physical accents are affected by the regions in which we live. Our spiritual accents are also affected by the areas we choose to occupy. God desires and expects both our speech and our figures of speech to glorify Him. As perverse language and corrupt talk increases around us, we must work hard to stay a people of clean lips. The apostle Paul reminds us that "our citizenship is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20). God wants our speech to give away where we're from.

We reveal our true home not by religious jargon people can't understand, but by purity of speech-and by pure default! Sometimes simply refusing to talk the way the world talks is a powerful witnessing tool.

Let's allow God to give us a swig of mouthwash when necessary-like when we're angry, or when we're trying to make a powerful point, or even when we're simply trying to be funny. In Christ, we can find ways to deal with anger, make a point, and enjoy humor without compromising our speech. God can help us break old habits and form new ones. One way we can do that is to spend time with people who talk with "accents" we admire.

Who are two people whose speech you admire? What about their manner of speaking impresses you? What one specific thing could you do to become more like them in your speech?

As each of us raises our own personal standard of expression, it won't be long until somebody asks us, "Where in the world are you from?"

Lord, lately some words have come to the tip of my tongue that have truly surprised me. I realize that exposing myself to perverse language and corrupt talk can desensitize me to the ugliness of those words. When I'm in a situation that's out of my control, like with a co-worker or the person I have to sit by in class, please protect my mind from absorbing those words. Make my speech pure and let it be like cool, fresh air to the people around me. Let them know that my home is with You. Lord, I know that many times I can control the words I'm hearing. Please forgive me for compromising my standards in some of the television shows and movies I watch, along with some of the music I listen to. I pray to please You through obedience. Also, please help me choose friends who will influence my speech in a godly way. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Adapted from Whispers of Hope, by Beth Moore, page 93. Nashville: LifeWay Press, 1998. Used by permission.