Now, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. Acts. 4:13
Many years ago, a young friend of ours went to visit relatives in Northern Ireland. It was her first visit, although she had grandparents who were born in the old country. When she returned after several months, I was surprised to hear her speak. During her time in Ulster, she had acquired a wonderful portion of Irish lilt in her voice. It was very obvious where she had been and who she had been spending time with in the previous months. The same thing happens with Christians who spend their time with the Lord Jesus: our speech is affected dramatically.
Just as it was obvious to the high priest and his cohorts who Peter and John had been spending time with, so too will the world know that we have been in the Lord’s presence, if we indeed spend enough time there. The trouble is, too many of the Lord’s people spend too much of our time in the company of unbelievers, absorbing the vain ideas and the potty talk of the world, vexing our righteous souls with their filthy conversation. Too many times, it would be difficult for someone to pick us out from a crowd because of our talk. We get to sound just like the unredeemed. We sing their songs, we tell their jokes, we discuss their politics and vices. And nobody suspects that we are citizens of a Better Land and have access to a better accent than the drab and dirty tones of the world.
How long do you spend talking with the Lord in your closet? What songs do you sing in the shower, or at work, or in your car? What reading material fills your magazine rack? What conversations do you have with the people among whom you work and play? What topics are covered in detail at your breakfast and dinner tables?
Oh that the Lord’s people would develop a heavenly accent to our speech! Would that we might be distinguished from the world by the way that we talk, that our speech might betray our affiliation with Jesus. The more time we spend in His presence, the better our heavenly accent will be. -Jim MacIntosh