It was one of those teachable moments between parent and child.

It was around 1995. My young daughter was watching a television show in one room, while I was in an adjacent room working on the computer. The sliding glass doors between the rooms were open, so there was two-way visibility and sound.

I was not paying attention to the dialogue on the television show until one character uttered a four-letter word. In my childhood, we called it “h-e-double hockey sticks.”

My daughter was watching an episode of an innocent situation comedy series, so the language caught us both off guard. From different rooms, our eyes met and locked. My daughter’s face had the look of I can’t believe I’m doing this. Has there ever been a more horrible person in the history of the world?

We both took a time-out from what we were doing and talked about proper and improper language in the television shows we watch and in our personal conversations.

That was 1995. Consider what language is like on television shows and movies in 2026. If I were to watch any television with my young granddaughter, I would probably need to have the remote control within arm’s reach. Language has gotten so much worse.

Think what effect that can have on viewers—even Christians. Little by little, we can become numb to coarse and profane language. What used to bother us before now bothers us less. That’s the way people talk nowadays, we conclude, as we shrug our shoulders with an air of resignation.

But even more than condoning language that once concerned us, we can find our own vocabulary changing—for the worse. Even though Scripture instructs us, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6), our speech can become peppered with expletives.

That is unfortunate. The message of the Bible is clear: “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” (Ephesians 4:29).

The apostle Paul wrote that directive in a section where God instructs his people “to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

So where does this leave us? As with any other part of our Christian lives, if we have failed to do as God commands, then we confess that to him. We do just that in the general confession in our worship services: We confess that we have sinned against God in our thoughts, our actions, and our words.

Armed with God’s forgiveness, we now strive to respond with more faithful Christian living. That includes watching our speech. That also can include helping others watch their speech by asking them to avoid offensive words.

In the end, words matter. Words convey thoughts and ideas. Words say a great deal about the person who speaks them. Let’s use our words to glorify God and benefit others.

James Pope | FIC Editor

Author: James Pope
Volume 113, Number 05
Issue: May 2026