Biblical guidance on our talk, texts and tweets

It’s always encouraging and helpful when people think of applications to something you’ve said in addition to the ones you gave.  For example, a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of preaching at Smithers CRC where I spoke about the apostle Paul’s command, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up…”  After the service, someone approached me and together we reflected on how this not only applies to the words we literally speak out loud (the emphasis in my message), but also to the words we type.  This person was painfully aware of a situation where something posted on Facebook created a lot of hurt and trouble.  The individual who posted it didn’t mean for it to be (so) hurtful, only later to recognize how insensitive and damaging those words really were.  And, as in real life, you cannot take back something you’ve put on the internet: People will still remember it in addition to the reality that they can save to their computer what you post before you have the chance to remove it.

If Paul were writing today, perhaps this would have been his command:

“Do not let any unwholesome talk, texts, tweets, or Facebook comments come out of your mouths, cell phones or social websites!”
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