This week while reading Twitter, I was reminded of the statement, “It is not just what you say or write, but how you say or write it.” Of course this is old but very wise advice. As those who love Jesus, our words, attitude, and others’ perception of those same things matter. We desire to honor the Lord in everything.
Dr Tom Schreiner Tweets on Communication
Yesterday, Dr Tom Schreiner, professor of New Testament at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, tweeted the following related to communication:
Hyperbole and exaggeration can be an effective rhetorical device in writing, speeches, and sermons. But it also can be abused.
We live in an age where there are a cacophony of voices, and where to make your voice heard it is tempting to exaggerate, to say that something is the most important issue of our time.
Certainly there is false teaching and dangerous deviations from the faith that need to be called out.
But there is also the danger of hyberbole [sic] and exaggeration, of drawing lines in the sand where no such lines should be drawn.
And in doing so we may end up bearing false witness about others and malign the reputation and orthodoxy of people who are faithful.
One consequence of overheated rhetoric is that many people quit paying attention. They shrug it off saying, “There that person goes again.”
Thus, we don’t only have the danger of false witness, which is very serious–you better be right when saying another person is unorthodox!
But another danger is that when real false teachers come, people might not pay attention. The emotional energy has been drained by the rhetoric that didn’t accord with reality.
Not Just What You Say or Write But How You Say or Write It
I could not agree more with Dr Schreiner.
We live in a world of social media and personal conversations where, if we are not very careful, we forget simple truths about honesty and integrity.
As followers of Christ, the truth matters. We need to speak up for truth and the implications of that truth. Where we see injustice, we should be concerned and communicate it. For these reasons, our communication choices matter as well.
Paul challenges us though to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15).
Speaking the truth means that we must use our words – even to the level of the terms we use and the ways we use them – to communicate what is full of integrity. To speak in ways that communicate more or less than what is true fails to honor God. Therefore, we must speak truth in ways that honors both the integrity or factual nature of the words we speak and the hope of communicating that truth to another person who needs to hear it.
Speaking the truth in love means that we must speak those same words in care of the individual who also will hear or read them. We want to communicate to that person in a way that is both respectful of the fact that the person to whom we communicate is in the image of God and the fact that we want them to understand what it is we hope to communicate truthfully. In fact, not just understand the importance of the truth, but accept that truth. Therefore, we must judge carefully before we communicate.
This means you must be careful not just what you say or write but how you say it or write it. Of course me as well! This is integral for all of us.
Where Do We Begin?
We begin of course in the way that we think. As we observe our world around us through what we see and read, we must speak truth to ourselves first. When we think in hyperbole and exaggeration, we must calm our own hearts first. Upon hearing or seeing something, we can be repulsed by someone else’s “lack of wisdom,” “heresy,” or general folly. Our own sense of truth and wisdom (i.e., pride) can initially exaggerate it even in our own minds. It is here that we must pay attention to truth.
Paul may be helpful. Consider what he says in Philippians 4:
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Phil 4:8)
We begin with speaking truth to ourselves.
The next step?
- Pay attention to yourself before you speak to another.
- Read and double-read what it is you type before you hit send.
- Consider what it is you “like” as you scroll through the social media of your choice. (If the post is not well-balanced in its approach, then like it in your heart as you speak truth to yourself and pass on liking it publicly. You want to respect others enough to not communicate that you “like” something that is unbalanced, unfair, exaggerates, or otherwise is unhelpful for another follower of Christ.)
- Think twice or three times before reposting, retweeting, or re-anythinging.
- Do less on social media when it comes to truth and virtue issues. Instead, speak less often while you make sure you maintain your integrity as a follower of Christ – speaking the truth in love. There are many things I agree with online but would never hit the “like” button simply because of the context in which it is communicated. I have to respect you more as a potential reader more than I respect my own opinion.
As we can, let’s all do our best to be careful not just what you say or write but how you say it or write it.
Image Credit Jessica Da Rosa
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
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