"Accent"

We say “over yonder,”

And “bless your heart” and “y’all,”

We “carry” people places,

Talk slower with a drawl.

Sometimes gives the impression,

That we don’t know too much,

And ‘cause we’re from the country,

Seems like we’re out of touch.

My friend from on the west coast,

Thought people’s thoughts were slow,

When he moved to Texas,

He tried to rush them so.

I went to New York City,

And heard ‘em loud and fast,

Big Apple was so perty,

I really had a blast.

I had a woman ask me,

Said with a plumb straight face,

Was I kin to Forrest Gump,

Thought I’d pick up my pace.

So I said oh so quickly,

He’s a second cousin, ma’am,

I think that she believed that,

Old Gump was in my fam.

I’ll tell you in Chicago,

They really do sound smart,

In fact across the Midwest,

No effort on their part.

But more than any accent,

Or how fast or slow,

Is the content of our language,

And what do our hearts show.

 By grace mixed with inflection,

And kindness in the tone,

Soaked with real compassion,

And love that is full-grown.

Blessing never cursing,

Praising, no complaints,

Giving out encouragements,

Refusing selfish taints.

And lies that are the habit,

Of so many that we hear,

Discarded for truth-telling,

Valued and held dear.

So y’all come on and say it,

Speak the truth in love,

It’s how we ought to play it,

With power from above.

“Let everything you say be good and helpful…” (Ephesians 4:29, NLT)

What we say is not what we get. But what we habitually say dramatically affects what we get. Why? Because words matter in at least two significant ways. One way is that our words actually manifest what is in our hearts, according to Jesus. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. So, one way to diagnose the health of our hearts is to evaluate the health of our words. If they could bottle your words for a day, would the contents heal or hurt you if poured over your head at the end of the day? Would they cleanse or make you dirty? It’s a good question. The second way is that words create a distinctive reality in the environment into which they are spoken. What someone says in a room can change the whole atmosphere of that room, for better or for worse. That’s why what we habitually say matters even more. The habit of our language reveals the habit of our hearts, and the repeated reality our words create. Inside and outside, our lives are directly related to our words. Speak them well.

Lord, help us to speak what You desire and in just the way You intend, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tim Cox, timcox.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Tim, and God bless you.