We live in a world, especially here in my culture in the United States, we live in a world that's drowning in vitriol, that vitriol, that hatred. Those angry, ugly words are applauded in my culture. And not only that, they're sometimes made heroic. And all they do is tear down.
Jesus, on the other hand, asks us to be gentle and humble at heart, and to speak our family language. The language is in a paraphrase form. The language He heard from the Father.
How do we learn our family language?
Our family language is humor. We make each other laugh.
Family language is natural.
I learned to cuss from my dad, but only in the company of hard men.
In my family, I learned a language that built up unity in love.
As Christians, little Christs, as the early church was thus insulted, we learn our family language from the word of God.
James 5:12, and:
“Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.: James 4:13-18
“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24
We tell each other the truth, 2 Timothy 4:2
We don’t shrink back from the whole counsel:
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16
Encouraging words, Hebrews 10:23
From time to time, I went to work or fishing with my dad, and I learned slowly scurrilous speech, speech that tore down, but the day-to-day language I heard in my home was uplifting even in rebuke. I felt great to be in the family I was born into.
Our So what?
In our first Family Language episode, we learned “pray, pray, pray,” then we heard “practice practice practice,” now our encouragement is to “read, read, read.” When we expose our growing inner man to the Scriptures, our worship, confession, intercession, supplication, and thanksgiving are besotted or soaked, or permeated with Biblical words that build up.
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.” Amen
1 Timothy 1:17
”What a man is on his knees before God, that he is and nothing more." Robert Murray M'Cheynee
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Assistant Editor: Seven Jefferson Gossard.
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All our Scripture quotes are drawn from the NASB 1977 edition.
For access to the voice-over services of Richard Durrington, please visit RichardDurrington.com or email him at Durringtonr@gmail.com
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Season 008
Episode 019
21 m