Do 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.
Ephesians 4:29
Many believe that this verse is only referring to foul language, such as curse words. Although a goal of this verse definitely is to convict us about our language, it is also speaking about words that tear down others. This verse explains that we should only speak things to people that encourage and build them up. It is not only speaking about foul language.
We have to be intentional about this. How often do we say things that do not benefit the people around us? We do it without thinking. I can recall plenty of instances in my own life where venting turned into gossiping, and instruction turned into judgment. Something that has innocent intent, turns into language that is corrupt and ultimately sin.
How many times do we get frustrated and paint situations in a more negative light than necessary? It is not limited to the people you are directly speaking to. Talking about others, or gossip is discouraging to those who are listening (even if they are not the one you are speaking about). To help with our unwholesome talk epidemic, we need to become more aware of the call that God has put on each one of our lives. He calls us to be living testimonies to His Kingdom.
With everything that we do and everything that we say, we are ambassadors for Him. We should walk around in the mindset that people are watching us all the time, because they are. They want to know how you respond to difficulty and how you treat others. Most of the time, the best way to reach the lost is not by preaching to them, but by showing Jesus through your words and actions.
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
James 21:22-24
It’s not just about just our faith, but how we apply and live out our faith. Our lives are what we have to show for. The words we speak are one of the biggest factors of our testimony. Are we glorifying Him with ALL the things we say?
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