"CHRISTLIKENESS IN SPEECH"

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

Ephesians 4:29

For the most part, it's not very hard to determine what's in a person's heart; all you have to do is pay attention to the words coming out of their mouth.

One of the first indications that God was working in my heart was a significant change in my speech. I used to be a person who couldn't speak a sentence without garnishing it with cursing. But when I committed my life to the Lord Jesus, He cleansed my vocabulary—and He still does.

In our verse of the day, Paul gives another contrast; this time, it's between corrupt speech and encouraging words. The word "corrupt" comes from the Greek "sapros" which refers to something spoiled, rotten, and worthless.

Contrary to what others often say that "I couldn't help it. It just came out of my mouth," Paul is telling us that we have full control over our words. We have the choice to speak words that can either hurt or help. For Christians, talking trash or nonsense is unacceptable. We should choose to keep quiet if we aren't going to say something helpful.

Scripture reminds us to season our words with "salt," which means we should not only flavor our speech with the truth but also use our words to purify the corrupt society we're living in.

Paul also points out that our words should be spoken to encourage others, not tear them down. This means that when we communicate with others, they should receive strength, hope, and truth. For example, if a troubled person speaks to us, he should feel much better and gain a renewed faith in God.

Another critical point in this verse is that we should speak the right words at the right time. As the saying goes, "Timing is everything." It's best to set aside criticism if the person is involved in grieving or struggling. On the other hand, even a simple word of encouragement like "I am praying for you" can mean a lot to someone going through a difficult situation (but be sure to pray as you promised, of course).

Keep in mind that there is an expectation from the people that our speech must reciprocate our confession if we are Christians. Therefore, we are to be gracious in sharing our thoughts and comments.

Pursue the Saviour today!