Have you ever dreamed you were invisible and used your powers to play pranks on people? There’s something about not being seen that brings out your mischievous streak. If you’re invisible, you can be downright nasty without repercussions.
Speaking a foreign language offers some of the same temptations as invisibility. Where I live, I’m surrounded by people who do not speak my mother tongue. When I become frustrated, it’s easy for the rude remarks I’m thinking in my head to come right out in English. After all, “they don’t understand.”
So if they don’t realize the insult, is it okay to say those words? Of course not. Because the point is not just the offense to the person. The problem is the darkness in my own heart.
Why are those rude words and thoughts there at all? Is it a sense of entitlement or arrogance? Most surely pride is lurking at the root. Knowing English causes a lack of inhibition over my speech, “no one knows, so it’s okay.” Those are the thoughts of a hypocrite – saying the right things and acting the right ways in the presence of others, but reverting back to sinful patterns when no one is looking or, as in this case, when no one can understand.
These kinds of deep revelations about the sinfulness of my own heart cause me to go running back to a Savior who can forgive and restore. I am thankful for this painful revelation and humbly share it with you. (I’ve had this insight for quite some time but had a difficult time expressing it. Last night I read Luke 12:1-3, and it all crystalized for me. The Word is powerful indeed.)
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Funny, when you were talking about invisibility I was thinking about it from the other side – how people around me think I don’t understand them and they say offensive things. When I smile and give them a knowing look they feel embarrassed.
This was a very powerful entry, thanks for the reminder about heart issues.
You are so right, short! I face this too, and so I should be more careful not to act in a way that I myself hate to be treated. Good old golden rule at work. It’s amazing how sin is so sneaky.
While it’s good to learn to hold our tongue and practice silence, the old thought-life can be neglected and go wild if we don’t learn to control it.
You’ve given me lots to think about!
Very thought provoking Jimmie! And thank you for including the verses for reference. I must say, I have been as guilty of this as anyone, even surrounded by those that speak the same language. Muttering just loud enough to be heard is STILL just as sinful as expressing rude thoughts in another language, or just THINKING them to begin with.
Thanks for the reminder.
I’ve come to rely on your homeschooling entries to uplift me in that area, & I am grateful for these entries as well.
Xie xie (hope I got that right..dd and I used to watch “Sagwa”, LOL)
This is a very well written entry. Thank you so much. What an excellent reminder.
Blessings,
Dawn
yep. we KNOW.
I’ve been in that exact same predicament… later I was horrified.
We try really hard to make it a point only to speak Spanish whenever anyone is with us that doesn’t speak English. We even correct our kids and make them say it in Spanish, or translate it for them if they don’t know the words… but when we aren’t ‘with’ anyone we speak English a lot as a family. This means, we have also occasionally slipped into the habit of speaking about others knowing they don’t understand. Kids sometimes say blunt/mean things (so do some adults!). We are working with our kids on this. But, like you, we realize often that it isn’t just a problem of the actual words, but of the heart. This happened yesterday with my oldest on the way home from lunch. He said something. We explained, not only do we not talk like that (even if they can’t understand), but we can’t THINK like that either! Your post is a perfect reminder to continue working on this! We learned our lesson early on, when we were with a man who had lived here for years. We were in a taxi with him, and he was telling us all how the culture is just so deceitful, the difficulty to learn the language is an indication of how fallen a culture, etc, etc (he had some weird beliefs). We were in the car for more than a half an hour listening to him. As we paid him, and just as we were about to get out, the taxi driver said in perfect English, ‘I can’t believe you can’t stand Peruvian ceviche!’
Obviously, this negative man had some serious heart issues… we had to ask ourselves, ‘why on earth has he lived here so long, and hates it?!’
Anyway,
thank you for the reminder!
Warmly,
Amy
tarapoto, peru
Oh, I LOVE this…So important to remember that man sees the outside, but God sees the heart. Thanks for sharing from yours!
I totally agree! I suffer from this malady myself. Thank you Jesus that you forgive me and are daily conforming us to your image. I might add an interesting Chinese idiom:
????????? It means: “what is committed to in the heart is displayed on the outside.”