Caution in Reading: Part Two
For the previous articles in this series, see the Introduction and Part One.
Good afternoon! Today I'll be presenting how what you read affects how you speak.
Matthew 12:34, "The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." When what you read fills your heart and affects your thoughts, it won’t be long before it creeps into your speech.
I said in my last post that your conscience may become dulled when reading stories containing sinful behavior. When this happens, you may not acknowledge the evil of some language to the point that you begin to pick up words and phrases that are not glorifying to God. When a book contains foul language, always be alert to how it affects your mind and speech and never be hesitant to put the book down if you find you begin to speak in that way or become calloused to the wrong of sinful language.
Foul words aren’t the only thing that can creep into your speech. Have you noticed the popularity of sarcasm in fiction today? Everyone is laughing at the “say the opposite of what you mean” trend. But have you realized that saying “Great” is a way of complaining and “Wow” can be just another way of criticizing another person? Sarcasm can be rude and hurtful, and it can just a way of concealing unkindness or discontentment in a veil of "humor". You may laugh at the sarcasm in books, but when you try it in real life, you might find that you’re the only one laughing. When unkindness or unethical sarcasm is shown in a book, remember not to let that attitude affect yours.
Rebelliousness is also often portrayed in books today. Reading books containing it may affect your words. Many teen fiction stories today depict adults as witless and controlling. That is a plain insult to parents and corruption to a teen’s mind that may cause them to disrespect their parents.
Ephesians 6:1-2, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother.” Always keep this verse in mind, especially when you come across rebellious attitudes in your reading.
Thanks for reading! Come back for the final post in this series next week: how what you read affects your actions.
~Madelyn
Matthew 12:34, "The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." When what you read fills your heart and affects your thoughts, it won’t be long before it creeps into your speech.
I said in my last post that your conscience may become dulled when reading stories containing sinful behavior. When this happens, you may not acknowledge the evil of some language to the point that you begin to pick up words and phrases that are not glorifying to God. When a book contains foul language, always be alert to how it affects your mind and speech and never be hesitant to put the book down if you find you begin to speak in that way or become calloused to the wrong of sinful language.
Foul words aren’t the only thing that can creep into your speech. Have you noticed the popularity of sarcasm in fiction today? Everyone is laughing at the “say the opposite of what you mean” trend. But have you realized that saying “Great” is a way of complaining and “Wow” can be just another way of criticizing another person? Sarcasm can be rude and hurtful, and it can just a way of concealing unkindness or discontentment in a veil of "humor". You may laugh at the sarcasm in books, but when you try it in real life, you might find that you’re the only one laughing. When unkindness or unethical sarcasm is shown in a book, remember not to let that attitude affect yours.
Rebelliousness is also often portrayed in books today. Reading books containing it may affect your words. Many teen fiction stories today depict adults as witless and controlling. That is a plain insult to parents and corruption to a teen’s mind that may cause them to disrespect their parents.
Ephesians 6:1-2, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother.” Always keep this verse in mind, especially when you come across rebellious attitudes in your reading.
Thanks for reading! Come back for the final post in this series next week: how what you read affects your actions.
~Madelyn
For the last article in the Caution in Reading series, see Part Three & Conclusion.
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