KNOW HOW TO LISTEN
1PETER 3: 10 – For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.
– God’s words warn that anyone who loves his life and wants to have good days must refrain from using bad words (profanity, for example) and do not speak lies. It indicates that human mouth and the way a person speaks is very important (Matthew 12: 37).
– Life and good days means salvation and eternal life, because life on this Earth is short and temporary, and it’s incomparable to the glory of eternal life. In the same way, good days on Earth are short too, and compared to bad and tiresome days, there are often not many (Psalm 90: 10).
– He who loves life means a person not only cares about his own life but also cares about the lives of others around him (in his family, friends, relatives, for example). That is the kind of love that God wants His children to have (Mark 12: 30-31, Galatians 5: 14).
– It also means that if a person who does not care about the qualities of his words when talking or honesty is the one who has neither love for his own life or the lives of others, including those who are in his family.
– It also means that God is listening to every word that humans are saying and He will judge them accordingly in this life and for eternity (Matthew 12: 36).
– How can a person use words and speak according to God’s standard for humans? (1Corinthians 12: 8, Philippians 4: 13).
– First, think about what we hear and how we deal with it (adopting it to be our way of speaking or not) (Mark 4: 24, Romans 12: 2).
– There are many examples in real life: Infants listen to learn how to talk in their mothers’ languages with their accents, the way people are speaking according to a particular region or environment (for example, language of the street or language of educated, high class society…).
– We can’t forbid others to talk according to their mind or their ways. It’s the freedom of speech. However, we can prevent ourselves not to listen to such language or choose not to adopt it as part of our own. It’s our choice. It’s the freedom that God has granted to humans from the beginning and He will judge how we use it in this life.
QUOTED VERSES:
PSALM 90: 10 – The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
MATTHEW 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.
MATTHEW 12: 37 – For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
MARK 4: 24 – And He said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
MARK 12: 30-31 – And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
ROMANS 12: 2 – And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
1CORINTHIANS 12: 8 – For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.
GALATIANS 5: 14 – For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
PHILIPPIANS 4: 13 – I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.