Read Ephesians 5:4, "Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving."Read Ephesians 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
The high school cafeteria is one of the most coarse and obscene places I've ever been. When teenagers get together, there are sure to be dirty jokes, sexual innuendos, and other profane language. I'm wondering if there is not much difference among Christian teens...
In Ephesians 5:4, we are told that obscenities and crude jokes are out of place for believers. Ephesians 4:29 instructs believers to let no unwholesome word come out of their mouths. Do many Christian teens heed these passages? I would venture to say that they do not. What hope is there for all of our unsaved teenagers, if our Christian teens are acting just like them?
Believers are to be set apart from the rest of the world, displaying purity and holiness. In high school, pure people are labeled "prudes," and holy people are labeled "goodie-goodies." This name-calling and mocking may embarrass you and hurt you, but is that really all that bad? Christians all over the world are suffering in prison, beaten, and abused for the name of Christ, yet they persevere. 1 Peter 4:16 states, "but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name."
I'm going to get real personal here, and this may cause you to feel uncomfortable. However, I feel that it's necessary for you to hear. When you hear crude jokes at school, how do you react? Do you laugh along with them? When someone comes up to you and says, "I've got a great new joke, but it's dirty." Do you tell them you'd like to hear it, or do you tell them you'd rather not? Do you watch inappropriate TV shows such as "South Park," "Family Guy," "Two and a Half Men," etc? Do you watch obscene and sexually explicit movies, such as "American Pie," "The Hangover," or "Scary Movie?" I would challenge you to never see a comedy that is rated "R." You know as well as I do that all of those movies will be filled with obscenities and sex.
If you have answered yes to any of these above questions, I would challenge you to reevaluate the way you're living your life. Do you think you can honestly obey the instructions in these 2 Ephesians passages while you are filling your mind with filth? There is no way you can cultivate a pure and godly heart while you listen to such obscenities. If God has convicted you, I encourage you to get on your knees in repentance. On the other hand, if you are avoiding crude jokes and obscene movies, I commend you for your faithfulness. Keep up the good work, no matter how uncool it makes you.
James 3:8 says, "But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison." If you have problems with unwholesome talk, remember that our tongues can't be tamed without the Lord's intervention. As you grow closer to the Lord and love Him more and more, your heart will be transformed by the Holy Spirit. When your heart is transformed, your words and actions will follow. Break away from the filth that you are filling your mind with right now and give your heart to Him!
