SALTY LANGUAGE

 

 

 

 

SHOULD WE TEACH CHILDREN TO SWEAR?


Recently I was sent a copy of a post by a professing Christian mom who was encouraging parents to teach their children what she called "salty" language. 

As I continued to read, I quickly realized that by "salty" language this author meant that we should teach our children to swear (use curse words) in order to better express their feelings to a listening world.  That if a topic is serious, then it requires serious words-- including the cuss words most Christians generally view as off limits.

Is this modern call to create a cussing Christian really "salty" language or would it be better characterized as "salt that has lost it's flavor" language?



WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?


Some might argue that it is meaningless to worry about words.  I mean, why are some words "bad" and others "good."  Isn't it all just cultural anyway? 

We see movies and TV shows that model cursing as a "norm" and call the language "adult" rather than defiled.  And maybe in that is the heart of the problem.  If our minds are not continually renewed by the Word of God, it can be easy to be swept away by the world's way of thinking and talking. 

If we consider the swear words in our culture, it is easy to see that many of the words either coarsely describe areas of the body meant to be covered; the elimination of waste or sexuality.  Even if we don't take God's name in vain, do we gain the impression from Scripture that Believers should really be coarsely talking about such things?

"What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them,

but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them...

Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes

into the stomach and then out of the body? 

But the things that come out of a person’s mouth

come from the heart, and these defile them." 

~Matthew 15:11, 17-18

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice,

blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the

old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man,

which is renewed in knowledge after the image

of him that created him.

~Colossians 3:8-10

WHAT WE WILL ENCOURAGE OUR GIRLS


1.  Take your lead from the Word.  Either because of poor example, or the desire to prove that we are cool with Jesus but not legalistic, more and more professing Christians seem to be confused about this issue.  Maybe it would help us to remember that Moses was not commanded to curse in order for Pharaoh to hear the seriousness of God's demands, nor did Christ curse in order to prove the seriousness of His message.  If God's ambassadors, in more trying times than ours, have not taken up coarse talk in order to make themselves heard, I feel confident it is not necessary in our time. 

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,

who put darkness for light and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" 

~Isaiah 5:20

"Set an example for the believers in speech,

in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity."

~1 Timothy 4:12

 

2.  Sound teaching will always produce godliness in our lives.  While some modern teachers have embraced cussing let godliness, rather than edginess, be the test of sound teaching.  If a teaching does not produce godliness, but instead derails us into vain speculations and time consuming distraction, it is probably not sound.  Love is the goal of sound teaching, not powerful words.
 

"Command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer...

Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing

God’s work—which is by faith.  The goal of this command is love,

which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

~1 Timothy 1:3-4 

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always

be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you

to give the reason for the hope that you have.

But do this with gentleness and respect."

~1 Peter 3:15

3.  Our speech reflects what is in the heart and is for the purpose of building up the church. 

"A good man brings good things out of the good

stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil

things out of the evil stored up in him."
~Matthew 12:25

 

"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."

~Ephesians 4:29

Yes, we should teach our children salty language, but salty according to Scripture.  And we should stand against those who would sneak in and seek to change the definitions of scriptural words and imagery to paint a picture that is not true to the context of the whole of Scripture. 

We have been bought with a price.  May we teach our little ones to honor Christ with their bodies in every way.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least

commandments, and shall teach men so,

he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:

but whosoever shall do and teach them,

the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
~Matthew 5:19

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness,
how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything,
except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."

~Matthew 5:13
 

Blessings friends,