Talk Like a Pirate, er, Christian

Some challenging words for us are found in Psalm 34:
13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.   We recognize that if God instructs us in a certain behavior, that He gives us the power to carry it out.   There are multiple instructions throughout Scripture about controlling our tongue, because words are powerful - they have the power to encourage or discourage, to wound and to heal, to build up or tear down.   We have to be careful how we choose our words, and that's definitely where we need the power of the Holy Spirit, for it is only as we rely on Him and follow God's principles, that we can speak in a manner that reflects His presence in our lives.

Ephesians 4 paints a compelling picture of the way we are to speak and act:
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. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.


For some strange reason, September 19th is always "Talk Like a Pirate" Day.  On this day, people across our nation and even around the world adjust their speech - their words, their patterns, and their tone - in order to emulate the so-called "Golden Age of Piracy", inspired by such notables as Captain Jack Sparrow or the characters in "Treasure Island".   Even a well-known donut chain offered a free dozen if people would take it a few steps further and dress up like a pirate.

I was thinking about the power of the tongue - what a wonderful tool of our Creator God, for one thing.  And, it's something unique about humans...we can communicate with one another, and if we're speaking the same language, we can understand.    Today - download this:  What is we were to declare a "Talk Like a Christian" Day.   I mean, you can go to a website and learn phrases and nuances of talking like a pirate.   What if we were really to take seriously what the Bible instructs about reflecting the nature of Christ in how and what we say?

So, if we were to "Talk Like a Christian", we would:
- choose our words wisely
- think before we speak:  James 1 says to be quick to listen and slow to speak
- seek to encourage people and build them up
- not slander other people
- or engage in gossip
- not engage in what is termed "idle talk"
- frequently give glory to God for what we see Him doing
- not complain
- seek to possess the right words to speak into a situation
- not speak angrily.

Those are just 10 I came up with - there are certainly more.   You see the point here, I hope - God has given us a wonderful tool, the tongue, and the gift of words to be able to express ourselves in accordance with His truth - we have a prescribed manner of speech, and we have an enabler, the Holy Spirit, who can empower us to control our tongues, to harness them in a manner consistent with His character.   A powerful tool and a powerful God - a great combination in order to do His will!