O Be Careful Little Fingers What You Say!-Speech in a Digital World

By: American Decency Staff

 

With the rise of technology has come a rise in boldness to speak mean or disrespectfully, ignoring the consequences of our words. It’s easier to talk about someone than to someone; so, when we are “hidden” behind the screen of our devices, many feel little compunction to take care in what they say. Cyber-bullying runs rampant throughout the internet and anyone can say anything without feeling the compulsion to verify their “facts.” There is always a ready audience, waiting to add to the melee. In this digital world of “free speech,” it would behoove Christians to take John Calvin’s words to heart, “I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels.”

The Bible has much to say on this topic; not the least of which is that in ALL that we do and say, we must do it to the glory of God. From James’ exhortation to “let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;” (James 1:19) to Jesus’ warning that “on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak;” (Matt. 12:36) we are told to watch our tongues. We even attempt to train the young to have a tongue of godliness by teaching little children’s songs like, “O be careful little tongue what you say…for the Father up above is looking down in love; so be careful little tongue what you say.” In today’s digital world, perhaps we should sing, “O be careful little fingers what you say!”

Whether the words fly from our tongue or from our fingertips, the Bible says that “what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.” (Matt. 15:18) Think of the last few posts or comments that you’ve typed, what do they reveal about your heart? Nathan Bingham, from a Ligonier Ministries preconference, aptly recognizes, “…our words online, your words online, often don’t reflect the grace we claim to believe in.” Listen to Mr. Bingham’s compelling 17 minute presentation, “Speech in a Digital World,” by clicking here.

Some questions we ought to ask ourselves before we post, tweet, or comment are:

·         Am I speaking to or about others the way I wish to be spoken to or of?

·         Am I forgiving as I desire God to forgive me?

·         Are my words glorifying to God or are they selfish in nature?

·         Do I offer the same grace to others that I am the recipient of?

God’s grace and love isn’t meant to pool up inside us; it’s to flow through us to others, shining the Light of Christ into a dark and dying world.Speak words of life and of love; let your words point to the Father!

One of the points that Mr. Bingham repeatedly made is “Pixels are People.” These aren’t just inanimate blips on the screen; these are people created in God’s own image. “Your words are read by flesh and blood.” These are individuals who need the mercy and grace of God; we are to be vessels of His grace and mercy. To read his blog entry on “Pixels Are People” click here.

Remembering that “the Lord calls us to holiness; wherever our speech or our actions may take place,” Nathan Bingham also reminds us that “the Christian already has a social media policy—it’s called the Bible.” He warns that it’s not that we are left uninformed but, because we are a sinful people, we are a forgetful people. “We are chartering new waters, and we’ve left the Bible on the shore.”

In looking at what some of the section headings would be in our guide to social media, Mr. Bingham suggested the following:

1)  Be quick to read and slow to comment:  “…let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” (James 1:19) Take time to read, and then think much before commenting with your opinion.  “When you comment before you’ve actually read an article, you’re elevating your words above the words of the author.” Read and think; then comment or tweet.

2)  Sleep on it: “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.” (Proverbs 15:28) “We don’t ponder anymore, but it’s godly to ponder. Today, if we have an opinion we simply publish it.” If we will sleep on a matter, it may look different in the morning. Look again from a fresh perspective. Read one of our previous articles on the digital world that is closely tied to this point by clicking here. (Think Twice Post Once)

3)  Beware the Facebook group and comment threads:  “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” (Proverbs 10:19) Mr. Bingham shared a comic strip here. A woman calls out to her husband, “Are you coming to bed?” His reply, while sitting in front of his computer, “I can’t, this is important. Someone is wrong on the internet.” With our abundance of words we must guard against not showing prudence, love, and godliness. Some groups that claim to promote truth turn out to be nothing more than modern day witch hunts, looking to destroy whomever they can in an attempt to feel better about themselves. Look for truth, proceed with grace, and watch out for the plank that may be protruding from your own eye.

4)  Be known for love: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) Scrolling through your social media history, what would be found? “Would we discover that the overwhelming number of your updates demonstrate a love for your fellow brothers and sisters? Do they suggest your life is flowing in a different course from that of those in the world or are you quick to correct and tear down?” Is your speaking of truth motivated by love or fueled by an unholy boldness given by new technology? It’s been said that the Christian is the only soldier to shoot its own wounded; may this not be said of us.

5)  Post wisely, redeeming the time: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16) “We can spend an inordinate amount of time in the foolish.” Our time here on earth is short; we should be posting and living to counterculture priorities like godliness, family, and the church. Our lives online and off should be reflecting Jesus and a life of holiness in Him. Our posts are a part of our lives and should be lived completely for Christ and should be redeeming the time. Let us post to the glory of God and to the benefit of man.

6)  Death and life are in the power of a tweet: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21) Everything we tweet is recorded. “What would you say to the Lord if He asked you to give an account for every idle word you’ve ever posted online?” The Lord “has provided us with a guide to navigate the course. So our call, in this day and age, is to consult that social media policy, the Scriptures, and to strive by the enabling of the Holy Spirit to pursue holiness, and to pursue His glory in all our tweets, in all our posts, and in all our comments.”

The speaker also covered the topic of “online church” in his message. Should one hope to get more information on this topic or a fuller view of speech in the digital world, listen to this message in its entirety here.

The digital world is not just a world unto itself. It’s tied to our very lives, and yes, even to our souls. We are created in the image of God and are to be His image bearers. The words which come from our mouths, or our fingertips, ought to be words which edify others and glorify our Creator. Don’t be like the bully hiding behind his big brother, hiding behind a digital device. Be open with words of love, pointing to the grace of God. Redeem the time, sharing the truth, for the days are evil. Remember, “the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little fingers what you type.”

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