He had no idea how he spoke to his family, and the attitude shown by his words was impacting his wife and kids. He would never curse or use profanity, but the tone in what he said really hurt. His wife wondered how to deal with this. So, she secretly recorded what he was saying, and then let him hear the impact his words were having. When he listened to the recording, he was shocked. He had no idea how what he said and the way he said it sounded to others and the impact it was having on his family.
Think about how you treat your family and whether or not what you say and the tone you use would ever be used in a public way when talking to people you hardly know.
Have you thought of what the Bible says about these matters? Let me urge you to read the following verses carefully, and let them impact what you say to others, especially those closest to you.
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Eph. 4:29).
“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather the giving of thanks” (Eph. 5:3-4).
“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor (a rarely used English word, the Greeks indicates “loud quarreling”—dj), and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:31-32).
“For every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words, you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:36-37).
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell” (Jas. 3:6).
“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps…who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet. 2:21-23).
That wife who recorded her husband’s words listened to that recording and discovered her tone and her words were part of the problem. Tragically, we feel justified about our own actions and are worse to our family than to total strangers. Think about this.