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There were some pretty quiet times in my childhood. I was always told that if I could not say something nice about someone, I was to say nothing at all. Deafening quiet ensued. Boy, have times changed! Sometimes it feels like we have become a nation of trash talkers. Being in an election year seems to have opened Pandora’s Box on all kinds of negative trash talk. Add to that the vast array of so-called reality shows, radio talk shows, and the wide world of sports, and it seems like an avalanche of trash is careening down on us on a daily basis. Just pick up a paper (if you still have one) or read the news on your iphone, listen to secular radio, or watch TV. Sadly even closer to home, read your facebook page, call up a friend, or get three or four people together for dinner. We feel it is our right to voice our opinion, good or bad, on anything and everything and about anyone and everyone. I wish I could say that the Christian world was exempt, but sadly trash talk has seeped into our churches and our homes. Our world, and if we are not careful, our own lives have become trash talk bins.
A very basic definition of trash talk is simply a war of words. It is getting into your opponent’s head and messing with him for your own advantage. Can you believe you can actually google steps for trash talk! Take a look at this site on how to be a better trash talker.
1. Identify the situation. If you are only joking around with your friends on the soccer field, meaningless jests about each other's mothers is usually the most effective way to go. On the opposite end, if you are currently engaged in a fist fight and honestly want to mentally crush your opponent, then use many vulgarities and compose a mean look on your face.
2. Continue to talk about your unending skill in whatever activity you are currently engaged in. Even if these statements are not true, use them! False trash talk is equally effective as true trash talk (although sometimes you will have to back it up).
3. Repeat the steps as necessary. If you feel that your trash talking is ineffective, it's probably a good idea to stop. Many people have built an immunity to trash talking and therefore it doesn't affect them at all. If you run across this kind of person, your best call is to just shut your mouth and own them at whatever you are doing. If this happens it is much easier to trash talk that person next time you challenge them at this particular event.
4. In the event that you lose, remove yourself from the situation as soon as possible. If many people hear you talking trash and then see you lose, no one will respect you. Also, your opponent could make fun of you. If you feel you are losing, stop trash talking. Continuing will only make your downfall even worse.
5. Challenge the opponent to another match, whether you win or not. You must be willing to put your money where your mouth is, which is an expression that means to do what you say you are going to do, even when you are talking trash.
The Bible shows us some heavy duty trash talkers. Remember Goliath calling out David?
1 Samuel 17:43 (NLT) 43 “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods.
The King had some pretty intimidating words for Daniel.
Daniel 3:6 (NLT)6 Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”
Moses was on the end of a long rant by Pharaoh.
Exodus 5: 1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’”
2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go.”
3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword.”
4 But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!” 5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”
6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: 7 “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”n to this exchange between Pharaoh and Moses
Jesus was not exempt from trash talk. Listen to Satan trying to get into the mind of Jesus
Matthew 4:3 (NLT) During that time the devil[a] came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
Bottom line is that we are not exempt from trash talkers or from trash talking ourselves, so how do we NOT get ourselves tangled up in a mudslinging contest where no one wins, but everyone gets dirty? We are to live our lives with the word of God written on our hearts. Remember how Jesus handled Satan’s trash talk - “ It is written.”
2 Corinthians 3:3 (NLT) Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
Luke 6:45 (NLT) A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
1. The battle is won or lost by the tongue speaking what comes from your heart.
Amplified Bible (AMP) Proverbs 21:3 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it (for death or life)
2. Make sure what is in your heart is good.
Philippians 4:8-9 (MSG) Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
3. Expect victory
Romans 12:21 (NLT) Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
4. Joy is the evidence of a trash free heart
Psalm 1: 1 – 3 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
Every year my husband and I settle on something to give up for Lent, and this year we decided to give up negative words. Now I have never considered myself to be a negative trash talker, but I have been unpleasantly surprised by the number of times negative words have come out of my mouth. I am once again revisiting those quiet times of my childhood.
Psalm 141:3
Set a guard over my mouth, LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
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