Are You Ready for Some Free Speech?

Jesus said in Matthew 12:37 that "³⁷ For ^[a]by your words you will be justified, and ^[b]by your words you will be condemned.”

Have you ever said something that you wish you could take back?   I have to admit, when you speak hundreds of words a day to an audience on the radio, I have had numerous times, in the process of self-examination, when I wish I hadn't said something or want to say it in a different way.   And, I think a great rule of thumb for all of us, as representatives of Christ, is to think before we speak and quickly take stock on whether or not what we're about to say will bring honor and glory to Him.

There's quite a controversy that has emerged resulting from some words spoken by country legend Hank Williams, Jr. - on "Fox and Friends", he used an analogy that President Obama playing golf with House Speaker John Boehner was like Hitler playing golf with Benjamin Netanyahu.   The point is well-taken - they are political polar opposites, but perhaps that is not the best way to say it.   Williams' opening song for Monday Night Football on ESPN was subsequently pulled and he has now unrepentantly released a song containing criticism for "Fox and Friends" and ESPN.   Sure, he was exercising free speech, and I think that pulling his song was not the right decision for ESPN - it has brought attention to the network that it probably didn't want.   And, if the analogy had been say, former President Bush and someone like John Kerry or Al Gore being likened to the two aforementioned figures, I wonder what the ESPN position would have been.
Welcome to the world of political correctness!

But Williams was an ambassador, in a sense, of ESPN, and as a private sector corporation, they have a right to exercise some control over those associated with them.    Sure, he has free speech rights, but those rights extend to the public square, but not necessarily the world of commerce.


Now, while I believe we have a constitutionally protected right of free speech, as Christians, we have to be careful that our "freedom of speech" doesn't become a stumbling block.   The apostle Paul drew a distinction between lawfulness and profitability - in other words, we might have the freedom to say or do something, that doesn't mean it's the best thing, and doesn't mean that it's God's will for us to do it.   That's why we have the Holy Spirit, to guide our actions and to provide the power to control the tongue.   I think of the words of James, where he cautions believers to be quick to listen and SLOW TO SPEAK!  Words spoken can have permanent effects, and that is why, as ambassadors for Christ, we have a high standard regarding the words we speak, and the Lord will direct our tongues as we surrender to His leadership.