Recently I read an article by John W. Kennedy in which he reported on a number of studies done by various groups and individuals on the language habits.in America. One study said that thirteen percent of the leisure conversation of American adults contains cursing. Another study claimed that vulgarity has moved from language associated primarily with hostility to casual banter. And a third study reported that foul language is now more than five times as frequent on television than it was a mere ten years ago.

So what does all this mean to you and me as Christians? Are we influenced by this increase of vulgar language? Are we more likely to swear ourselves or use coarse phrases because we hear it more? And does such language really make any difference to anything important or eternal? Does it ultimately matter relative to our spiritual lives?

First let's briefly look at a few: scriptures on the topic. The Apostle Paul had much to say about the language we use. In Ephesians 5:4, he tells us that "obscenity, foolish taLk, or coarse joking" are "out of place" (NIV). In Ephesians 4:29 he says, "Do not let an unwholesome talk come out of your mouths." And it wasn't just the Ephesians that he gave such advice to. The Colossians also heard it: in 3:8 they were told to rid themselves of "filthy language from your lips" and in 4:6 they were advised to "Let your conversation be always full of grace." Even Timothy was told (in I Timothy 4:12) that Christians are to "set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

It seems fairly clear that a high standard is set for Christians in all aspects of our lives. Certainly this includes the language we use. As Christians, we should not reflect the world around us. We should instead reflect the influence of Christ in our lives and represent the spiritual kingdom of God. We are supposed to adhere to a much higher standard than the rest of the world. What we say and how we say it affects our personal witness for Christ. Rightly or wrongly, others judge us, and therefore the value of our Christianity, by what they hear come out of our mouths.

Are we influenced by the language we hear around us and in the media? It is too easy to give a simplistic answer to this question. We are not all alike. Each of us is even subject to different influences at different stages of our lives Some of us may pick up the terminology we commonly hear (or read) while others of us may hardly be influenced at all by our desensitized culture. Each Christian should judge this matter for himself or herself.

We all, however, need to be aware of subtle influences upon us. For example: on television and in the movies we never see characters embarrassed for swearing. In fact, swearing is often presented as being funny. We should not accept this as reality or have it influence our reaction to swearing. In real life, children are often reprimanded for swearing by parents, teachers, and other adults. Even other children (hopefully ours) often react negatively to swearing. Adults, too, are often corrected by spouses, co-workers, and fellow Christians. We should never think that the media represents reality. It represents only a part of it - and we need to resist the implication that all of us are like that.

Another thing that I must admit I notice is a slight increase and acceptance of Christians using "mild" swear words and vulgar words in conversation with each other and even in church. "Damn" and "hell" should not be on our lips. And vulgar words and common expressions of vulgar terms should not be accepted or used by us just because society seems to be accepting them. Terms such as "sucks", "screw", "pissed off" are not appropriate for a Christian to use. (I apologize for even listing such words here, but felt I needed to be specific.) We need to set an example for our children and for each other. The use of foul and inappropriate language is a bad habit which can and should be changed. Learned behaviors can be unlearned.

In Matthew 12:34 Jesus said, "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." When our lives are under the influence of God's spirit and our hearts are full of love and spiritual content, our words surely reflect that. How can we not be in awe of what God has done for us? Our hearts should be overflowing - - overflowing with thankfulness and praise to God. Such overflow of our hearts would certainly keep our language in proper perspective.

Several years ago, a "Special Assistant" to the United States Secretary of the Treasury was addressing a highly sophisticated audience of economists on an extremely dry subject. Halfway through the taLk, the speaker sensed that the boring nature of the subject matter was causing him to lose his audience: eyelids were drooping; people were looking at their watches. Consequently, he tried to spice things up with a little humor.

He said: Many learned economists might tell you that a slowing up of the slowdown is not as good as an upturn in the down-curve. But even this is a good deal better than either a speed-up of the slowdown or a deepening of the down-curve. And it does suggest that the climate is just about right for an adjustment to the readjustment. All of which indicates that there may be a letting up of the letdown. Of course, if the slowdown should speed up, the decrease in the rate of increase should turn an increase in the rate of decrease. In other words, the rate of deceleration would be accelerated.

The speaker then looked out at his audience and asked a man who had nodded off, "What do you think?" The man rubbed his eyes and scratched his head, then replied, "You're absolutely right!" And the audience had a good laugh.

Jesus says to His disciples, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God...and trust in Me... I tell you most solemnly, whoever believes in Me will perform the same works as I do Myself" (John. 14:1,12).

What do you think? Are you saying to yourself, "Jesus is absolutely right?" Or could it be that vou weren't listening really? Did Jesus' words come through or might I just as well have said, "If the slowdown should speed up, the decrease in the rate of increase should turn an increase in the rate of decrease"?

"DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED. TRUST IN GOD...AND TRUST IN ME." The most important decision you will ever make is your decision about belief and trust in the Loving God who made you and wants you for His own. By going to church to participate in the act of congregational worship, you have already taken an outward step. That is why you are there. You want to outwardly express belief and trust in God and His Son. That is part of what worship is all about. But have you taken this outward step without first having taken the necessary inward step: the discovery of God's Loving Presence within you? God's Gracious Spirit is deep within you at this very moment -- wanting to get through to you, wanting to evoke a response from you that says: "JESUS IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!" I must believe! I must trust!

As mature Christians, we must be willing to acknowledge that God's Will is absolutely right for us. For example, Jesus reveals the Father's Will for your life and mine in terms of mercy and forgiveness. Peter the Apostle asked Jesus, "Lord when my brother wrongs me, how often must I forgive Him? Seven times?" "No," Jesus answered, "not seven times; I say, seventy times seven times" (Mt. 18:21-22). This is Jesus' way of saying that no limit whatever is placed on our need to practice love, mercy and forgiveness. The Kingdom of God, Jesus explained to Peter, is built on a foundation of endless mercy and forgiveness -- a foundation of unlimited love.

Why has God ordained that our fulfillment as Brothers and Sisters in Christ depends upon the depth of our love for one another? Why has God ordained that our peace of mind and soul - our very happiness -- depends upon our willingness to love, even our enemies? Who can give an answer? Who can claim to fully understand the process of that type of love? Only God can make that claim, because God is Love. Our knowledge of God is from a mere human understanding. No one can know God fully. No one can understand His process of mercy and forgiveness and love fully. It all comes down to a matter of trust. God is asking us to trust Him. God is asking us for complete trust, a "no questions-asked" kind of trust.

In the Old Testament there is the story of Job, a man who suffers greatly from a long list of afflictions. At one point, when he is trying to deal with his situation, make some sense out of it, his wife says to him, "Are you still holding on to your innocence? Curse God, and die!" 1Job 2:9). In other words, "There is no answer! Give up on it! Forget it! The whole busimess of life is absurd!" Job's friends aren't much help to him either. They are a classic example of the old cliche, "With friends like this, who needs enemies?" They tell Job that his terrible suffering is punishment from God for his sins. Job protests: "But I haveri't sinned tha t much to deserve all this!" But his friends keep giving hirn the same answer: "God is punishing you."

Since we are all sinners, in varying degrees, we may wish to grab onto their answer. However, eventually we will discover that we must switch to Job's ultimate answer. Job's answer from God is beautiful. God does not provide it for him in an intellectual way. God answers Job's question by coming to him. The answer to Job's question is, literally, "God! " In a voice out of the whirlwind, God comes to Job and identifies Himself, saying, "I am God and you are not God. Trust Me!" The Book of Job ends on that note. Job still doesn't know "Why?" in the sense of understanding God's reasons. He simply trusts, because GOD IS GOD!

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