Have you noticed a lack of respectful consideration in the conversations you enter? Never before in my lifetime have I witnessed raised and angry voices, profanity and innuendo as I do in the present. It is pervasive on television, in movies and, (perhaps because of the influences of the former), in the daily conversations you overhear or in which you participate.
Often, the person who is guilty is speaking with someone he doesn’t even know. He sprinkles his conversation with curses and vain repetitions, and never once considers how the listener he has just met may be offended by his speech. And it is not only men who speak this way. Increasingly we hear women and children being overtly profane in their daily conversation. On top of the corrupt speech we see insults, snideness, gossip and other offensive habits of speech. The same is true in our written conversations on Facebook, Twitter, and other types of social media.
Christians are to be the “light of the world” (cf. Matthew 5:14) in this aspect of their lives, as in any other. Paul said, “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:5-6). We would do well to remember this admonition the next time we open our mouths, take out our pen, or put our thumbs to our virtual keyboards!
