by: Zana Reichen
Before gold and precious metals are beautiful and ready to be worn on your finger or around your neck or wrist, these precious metals and gems must go through several steps of purification. Your engagement ring, wedding ring, or diamond stud necklace once lived in a mountain or deep underground somewhere until it was mined, then tested, then purified, and then fashioned to be the gorgeous sparkler you wear on your finger or around your neck.
In the beginning, your gold and diamonds were not beautiful–they went through the purifying process to make them beautiful. We’ve heard the cliché, “Diamonds are forever.” Though we won’t be taking our jewels to Heaven with us, they do last a very long time and increase in value with time. For the sake of this article, we could say diamonds are forever or diamonds are eternal. There is something else eternal–our words. Unless a person gets Alzheimer’s disease or senile, people pretty much remember everything you say–good and bad. As precious diamonds and jewels are taken through the purification test, so must our words be purified according to Philippians 4:8.
Before we talk about that test, please note loud and clear in your minds–Your words are who you are!
Your words are born in sin, thus the psalmist wrote:
Psalm 19:14 – “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”
Before exiting your mouth, your words are first in your heart and mind:
Proverbs 23:7a – “For as he thinketh in his heart so is he:”
Matthew 12:34 b – “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
So I must control what I think:
Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
It is of this verse, Philippians 4:8, from which we will take the Purification Test. Let’s test the following statements:
Your lady friends and you discuss at “prayer meeting” or any “get-together” the latest couple that broke up.
Is it true? Yes.
Is it honest? Somewhat.
Is the conversation pure? Not exactly.
Is it a good report? NO! FAILED the purification test.
Consider the expletives you use on a daily basis. Are those words pure? Just? Lovely? Most expletives are not lovely and diminish our Christian femininity so…FAIL!
You complain to anyone and everyone that, “It’s cold in here!” or “It’s hot in here!”
Test it again – Pure? Just? Lovely? Good report? Virtuous? Praise? It is not lovely, praising or a good report. So, FAIL!
A pastor or full-time Christian worker made a mistake and you “need to let people know.”
Test it:
Is this true? Yes.
Honest? Not applicable.
Pure? No—FAIL!
Lovely? No—FAIL!
Good report? No—FAIL!
You are in a discussion about the latest movie or Hollywood stars’ lives. Does it pass the purification test? FAIL on all counts!
By the way, ladies, all we need is one “NO” from the purification test and it is a FAIL!
If people closed their eyes and listened to you, would they know you were a Christian? Or, would you sound like the rest of the world?
Following are some everyday words that come out of our mouths and how we can “purify” them before exiting the mouth:
FAIL
1. “It’s cold in here!” (In a complaining tone.) then try…
PASS
“Is everyone comfortable?” (Indicating care for others, to solve the temperature problem based on everyone’s responses. This will be positive for everyone! People do NOT like complainers; People DO like problem solvers.)
FAIL
2. “Did you hear that John and Mary broke up?”
PASS
“Let’s take Mary out to lunch today!” (Implying that Mary might need some special attention. No one needs to know why!)
FAIL
3. “Pray for my brother who is not in church right now because he is drinking again.”
PASS
“Pray for my brother. He has a special need at this time.” That is ALL you need to say! (I’m amazed that people give the negative details about their backslidden friends and loved ones in the name of “prayer requests.” If that person does get back in church, everyone knows their “dirty laundry.” Let’s use our words to protect, not harm further.
I don’t always succeed at this, but when negative reports or information comes my way, I tell myself that if others hear about it, it will not be from me. I don’t want to be known as a source of bad news. If it MUST be told, usually it should only be told to one person who can help the situation improve. Sometimes, God is the only person you can talk to about it.
Ladies, telling negative, yet true, news does not make you special! Keeping bad news to yourself makes you special.
The purification test—Yes, the Philippians 4:8 purification test narrows down my daily conversation quite a bit, but Philippians 4:8 challenges me to test my words and purify them before exiting my mouth. Are my words TRUE, HONEST, JUST, PURE, LOVELY, A GOOD REPORT, full of VIRTUE AND PRAISE before exiting my mouth? Let’s determine to test our words daily and PASS the purification test!
Zana Reichen
Commonwealth Baptist College
Lexington, KY