“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”
Ephesians 4:29 NLT
One of the most powerful tools we have in our relationships are the words we speak. Words not only have meaning but they have power to build up or tear down. We often forget this power of words as we speak without thinking and our words are thrown out at someone without any fore thought. We all have had someone speak words over our lives that we still remember and may still impact our lives.
The Word tells us to offer words that are good and helpful to others so that these words can be an encouragement to them. Since words have such an influence, we should begin to use them carefully, weighing out what we intend to say with wisdom and compassion. One thing I have noticed is that we speak way more than we need to. We need to listen more, connect more before we speak. There are even times when no words are even needed, just our presence!
Like many aspects of our faith walk in Christ, we need to discipline our speaking of words to those around us. We should focus on words that build up, words that encourage- words of affirmation. The saying goes if you don’t have anything good to say, say nothing. Let us measure our speech so that it blesses others in their lives and their faith.
In Christ
RJ