The Words We Speak by C. M. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Jun 3, 1915

The Words We Speak

By C. M. S.

One of the most important admonitions of Paul to Timothy had to do with his personal conduct among men, especially among the believers. It reads:—

“Be thou an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Tim. 4:12.

The Authorized Version renders it: “in word, in conversation,” etc. Of all people on this earth at the present time Seventh-day Adventists ought to be most particular that their words, their conversation, their manner of life, shall be not only above reproach, but of a character that will win souls to the fold of Christ. The psalmist prays: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock, and my Redeemer.” Ps. 19:14.

How often we admire a person’s appearance before we become personally acquainted with him, but find him repulsive to us because of the character of his conversation. It would be difficult for him to win us to any cause he might advocate; for, while his argument endeavors to win, the indelicacy of his words, the slang, and the crudity, repel us and work against his own purpose.

The wise man has expressed the thought in these words: “Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor; so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.” Eccl. 10:1. The purpose of the perfumer was to produce an ointment that would give forth a pleasing odor; but his purpose has been thwarted by the dead flies. In like manner will the most earnest endeavor to win souls for the Master be thwarted by the indelicate or injudicious use of our powers of speech. A soul is trembling in the balance; earnest prayers are being offered; the right word turns the balance for God; but the careless word, the slangy word, the indelicate word, may turn the feet of that wavering soul into the pathway of death. How much Christians have to account for in that particular only eternity will reveal. A minister or a Bible worker returning on a crowded car from a public effort may do more in a five-minute conversation to bind the shackles of doubt and indecision upon anxious souls than he can do in an hour’s public effort to break those shackles. The Saviour’s declaration, “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned,” has direct reference to this matter. It is a fearful thing so to use our powers of speech as to turn souls away from the pathway to the kingdom. The result of so doing is plainly set forth by our Saviour in these words:—

“I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Matt. 12:36.

We expect that God will call us to account for breaking the Sabbath, for withholding the Lord’s portion of our means, for taking that which belongs to another, for blaspheming, and for coveting; but many of us seem to forget that the very words we use will also enter into judgment against us. We might keep the Sabbath, but that would not exempt us from punishment if we permitted our hatred for another to culminate in murder. So we may keep the Sabbath, and refrain from murder and robbery, and yet merit God’s condemnation for such a careless use of words as would drive souls away from the kingdom.

Let us be chaste in our conversation; and there is more to that than the mere avoidance of unchaste words. Moral men and women of the world are not vulgar in their speech, but we must stand for more than that. We have a pure message; it demands pure thinking; and pure thinking demands pure expression; and pure expression is impossible without pure, delicate, well-chosen words. Slang will not do. Cheap words presuppose cheap thoughts, and cheap thoughts a cheap purpose. If we use cheap words, our message will be judged a cheap message; and that would be a reflection upon its Author. Living in the light of eternity, let us not jeopardize the souls of our neighbors, and our own souls as well, by thoughtless words. C. M. S.