Words

Ephesians 4:29 says that we should “not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Christians usually pick this verse out for use in specific situations, like to discourage cursing.  It greatly encouraged and challenged me when I was working on not being bitingly sarcastic.  But the verse doesn’t say “try to not curse or be sarcastic-“  it says not to let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth.  At all.

I bring this up because I’ve noticed that in our culture, we put people down all the time.  All the time.  Listen out for it coming from other people and from yourself.  Want a few examples?

~ When we disagree with or don’t like something, “lame,” “the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard/seen,” or “epic fail.”

~ We tell people that they’re jerks (or some other derogatory name) when they beat us at something or prove us wrong.

~ Sometimes, we just toss around insults.

A lot of the time, we say these things in a joking or playful tone and don’t genuinely mean them.  But if we don’t mean it, why are we saying it?  We should be building one another UP, not cutting each other down.

The second part of the aforementioned verse says that what we say should “benefit those who listen.”  If a non-Christian hears Christians calling each other “lame” for liking something a little different or messing up a bit, how are they benefiting?  How are they seeing us as set apart by God?  How are they being encouraged?  And while playing around is fun, are we making our brothers and sisters in Christ stronger people and better Christians when we do it?

Every single word you say is probably not going to have a monumental effect on a person’s life, and I’m certainly not saying that Christians shouldn’t joke around and laugh together.  I am saying that, as Christians, we should try to make our everyday speech more uplifting.

I’m challenging myself to try to identify, and then eliminate, as many unnecessary insults as possible from my speech.  I know that I’ve made fun of things that other people like (that perhaps don’t have anything really wrong with them), called people names, and made unkind sarcastic comments.

But God has been increasingly showing me to value and consider the words I speak.  I want the general influence that I have on each person who I encounter to be positive and God-glorifying.  Actions definitely play a huge role in forming this influence, but my speech should be beneficial as well. ALL THE TIME.

We’ve been called to “live a life of love.”  It can be a challenging calling, but it can also be a beautiful and rewarding calling as well.

So, what do you think?  I’d love to hear back from you with your thoughts on my first blog post.  Feel free to discuss this post below or email me at sumparakaleo@gmail.com with suggestions, questions, or other comments.  Have a great day!

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