Political or Spiritual correctness
The aim of any speech is freedom. Freedom from constrained thoughts suppressed inside a heart till the mouth gives it release through the tongue. Why is the cooperation of organs important? What one believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth brings him salvation. Salvation from death and bondage that holds a human being captive till free speech of what one believes in their heart is released. This is an amazing concept. Once released, these words have the effect of breaking the stronghold of captivity and setting a person free. It takes the expression of speech to do this. If you only think something and do not express it, it is bound in captivity like a mind without a way out of a coma patient.
So, freedom of speech is an essential right of a human being but often enough it is suppressed by law. The law of the land and the law of religiosity depend on political correctness which is bondage. Both of these practices make out that they are righteous and good for man but in actual fact they keep a person bound to a regime of thinking and an amputation of expression. When this happens, the poison of suppressed speech turns to emotional misbehaviour and depression. Have you come across a person who can never have a say? You will find this person to be quite a dangerous person or a depressed one. Suppressed speech actually is a poison to the soul and then to the body. Bitterness and revenge have their roots in the lack of freedom of speech or speech that another organ, the ear, has received which goes in to the heart of the listener and poisons it. Too many have suffered the lack of unrestrained speech that has led to disaster of a serious kind. People have taken to actions because speech has broken down. A common example is the failure of dialogue to resolve conflicts. Speech is finally made silent by the sound of gunfire and exploding bombs. In personal life, when speech has stopped, silence breaks out, punching begins and every other form of evil is let loose.
There is a form of speech that is so restrained that it equates to the captivity of people as well. It is called “political correctness”. When this form of speech restraint is employed, people become so careful about what they have to say that it makes no sense in the end as to what they are saying. I am amazed at the people who actually coin this political correctness because they consider themselves intelligent. Then there is the spiritual correctness that rivals political correctness. This form of restraint on speech is full of hypocrisy and meaningless jabber. They go round in circles to say what they mean but the listener never gets to understand what is being said or the meaning and intent of what is being said.
Then there are all sorts of other speech which are expressed as flattery, foul language and rude speech to name a few. Boasting and half truths and outright lies are just a few more examples of bondage through speech.
The Bible actually has a lot to say about speaking and words. In fact, without speaking and words, the world would not have been made by God who spoke it into being. His words actually brought freedom to light to express itself in darkness. There was meaning suddenly to darkness and what seemed barren and desolate received life. Speech is made up of words and so they need to be put together properly so as to make sense, bring life and the effect of freedom. The fact that a person has words within them does not mean they have to express them without restraint. They need to measure their words correctly as a person is judged on what they say. Mat_12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
When a person speaks, they need to be wise about what they are saying as the tongue has power over life and death. Many have expressed wrong statements and have ended up suffering the consequences of such statements. For example; they have said things like; ‘I wish I was dead’ or they have spoken over someone words of condemnation. These expressions have brought both physical and emotional death to the listener. Words do not go into thin air and vanish. They seek a residence in someone. If no one is around, they will find a harbour in the person who spoke it. People have spoken to plants and have seen them do well when they have spoken well to the plants.
Since words do originate in the heart, the work internally in a person even when they are not expressed. So, it is important to have conversations with oneself that are meaningful and praiseworthy. If you express a negativity in the words that you speak to yourself, they will have a negative effect. Words can be sent long distances and so one must be careful what they hear as well. So, in this sense, correct speech is important. Most people express themselves well except when there have been speech suppression in their lives through something that went bad or when they have had no opportunity to express themselves. That is why lonely people will talk a lot when they meet someone.
It is a journey that one undertakes when they seek God for a controlled tongue and mouth. The following verse is a blessing when you know and receive what it says. Luk 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. It is a comforting thought that wisdom can be expressed and not just thought. Once wisdom is expressed, it settles things to the extent that there is no gainsaying. It can divide correctly the truth and bring all concerned to the table of reconciliation, healing and restoration. It always shows the way, resolves problems and even builds and establishes what is needed. I am always fascinated by the power of wisdom over many other faculties even of God. Wisdom is highly regarded in the Bible and one would be wise to read about it in Proverbs. The man who wrote it was the wisest man in the world; King Solomon.
The true author of wisdom however is God. God, who made the worlds through wisdom and then established it for centuries through wisdom. It says in the Bible that God’s wisdom is past finding out. Rom_11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! We must seek out true speech that changes lives and situations.
Preaching has been given for this purpose of bringing people to God in a way that makes sense of who God is and what He expects. Teaching solidifies and established correctness in the ways of God. All of the above disciplines have their origins in speech and words. It is words that are going to make a person or break a person. They have the power to heal and deliver a person or wound and destroy a person. When words are turned to speech, we must be careful how we speak. The day of speech is a day of incredible power. When the baby first cries it does not know how to articulate its emotions. In time words begin to formulate but not clearly as the baby grows. Even though it is able to understand speech, it cannot express speech. Eventually, through learning and interaction with others who speak to it, the child is formed by words in the inner man just as food shapes the body and makes it grow.
It is my hope that I will speak less and hear more. Then, when I do come to speak, I would only have said what is needed to be said and still have the peace of knowing I have been unrestrained in my speech. The human capacity to store information is great. However, I have found many people to be like sieves. They are the gossipers who can hold no words and express themselves at every turn with meaningless and harmful blabber. Their sound is like a canker (sores inside the mouth). It only causes grief and destruction if left unattended. Whereas, a person who stores harmonious and good words, expresses themselves in a manner that brings joy and life to the hearer. Col_4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Lots of love
Pastor Noble
17/12/17