Isaiah 6:5 ESV  And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

It is obvious to the reader that Isaiah felt an acute unworthiness to enter worship and praise so majestic and holy. He may have also felt an unworthiness to share the message of God as a prophet. I find it interesting that he focused on the lips and recognized that they were “unclean.” He also realized that he was living among “a people of unclean lips.” I believe that we are prone to think of sin as that which we commit by DOING something wrong or NOT DOING something we know we should. But to admit that we sin most frequently and most viciously with our mouths is uncommon. Many are not even aware of sins of the mouth. We cut, we hurt, we wound others with our speech. And we are not anxious to talk about it either. We even excuse it as harmless, meaningless, unintentional and humorous. We live in a culture of impure speech and communication, and we are oblivious to it.

Controlling our language is challenging. In fact, it is so difficult to control our speech that James places controlling the tongue as the test of self-control.

James 3:2 ESV  For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

Lying, stretching the truth, slander, gossip, foolish talk, crude joking, and impure communication are common all around us—in fact, so common that we seldom notice and rarely confront the culprits.

Partly, I think that these sins of speech are common because we tend to think of them as less sinful and less harmful. Neither assumption is true. The Bible clearly says that they are sin, and their destructiveness is evident to any thinking person, especially to the person who has been the brunt or target of such a sin.

How can we be sure that our communication is pleasing to the Lord? St. Paul reminds the Ephesian believers:

Ephesians 4:29 ESV  Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Communication that builds others up, that offers grace to those who hear, is the kind of communication that pleases the Lord. This type of communication does not just “happen.” This communication requires purposeful effort. Choosing the most beneficial message demands a thoughtful and perceptive approach that considers the needs, circumstances, and mood of the person.

Proverbs 25:11 ESV  A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Proverbs 25:11 CEV  The right word at the right time is like precious gold set in silver.

It is RARE and PRICELESS.