Luke 6:45 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”
Hate Speech is a result of a mind and heart filled with hate. Love Speech is a result of a mind and heart filled with love. How can you determine what ‘s in your heart? — examine your thoughts. You think about what you say before you say it — most of the time! I get in trouble when my words are spoken BEFORE I filter them. Various habits and patterns of thinking will be expressed verbally and physically. So why do I use the term hate speech?
Many believers in Christ practice hate speech daily without even realizing it. When I say this many say or think “no I don’t!” Let me introduce the term “self talk.” If you were to transcribe your private self talk, what would be the tenor of your talk? How many times do you berate yourself for making a mistake? Ever had these thoughts? “That was really stupid! I’m a failure! I’m lazy! I’m not a spiritual as they are! Who could really love me? I will mess it up – whatever it is!” and the list goes on. Basically some hate speech is directed inward toward yourself. Here’s a thought: the more you focus on yourself (in this case through self critical thoughts) the more self-centered you become. The opposite is true as well. If you continually compliment yourself then you may be classified as a self-obsessed narcissist. Whether it’s negative or positive self-talk, you are the center of the universe. In Scripture we are to judge with a sound mind. We are to have a realistic view of who God made you to be. As a child of God my mind (thoughts), heart (desires) and speech should reflect my true heart — the new heart God has given at salvation (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
So how are these critical thoughts changed?
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