Key Verse: “No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29 CSB)
The old adage says, “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.” I don’t know about you, but that has rarely been my experience. More often than not, words have had a very powerful effect in my life either positively or negatively. Words can result in a lot of hurt. Or they can bring about incredible encouragement and healing.
In Ephesians 4:29, the Apostle Paul reminds us of the importance of our words as followers of Jesus. To live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ requires that we evaluate and watch very carefully what we choose to say.
Paul begins by telling us what not to do with our words. “No foul language should come from your mouth,” he wrote. Other translations use the phrase “unwholesome talk” or “corrupting talk.” This could be a word of discouragement, a disparaging remark about someone, or language that doesn’t reflect the One we follow. The command is to ensure that the words that we say are not causing harm to those who hear it.
What are our words so important anyway? Jesus tells us that, “the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil” (Matthew 12:34b-35). Every word we say is ultimately a reflection of what is happening on the inside. When what we say is unwholesome, foul or corrupt, it points to a greater issue that is happening within our hearts.
So what are we to do instead? Paul tells us that what comes from our mouth should be “only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear” (v.29). With every person you encounter, you can either tear them down with your words, or you can build them up. You can either cause hurt or harm through what you say, or you can be a source of encouragement and healing.
One of the marks of Christian maturity is learning to control our words and guard carefully the filter on our mouths. Jesus wants what comes from our lips to only be that which brings God praise and encourages those around us. This is possible not by sheer human willpower, but through the heart-transforming power of the Holy Spirit as a result of all that Jesus has accomplished.
What are you saying today? Invite the Holy Spirit to help you to guard carefully the words that come from your lips. Ask him to cleanse your heart so that it will overflow in words that build up others around you, and give grace to those who hear.
Prayer: Jesus, I pray that the words of my mouth would be pleasing and honoring to you today. Cleanse my heart from all that is evil. Grant me a greater measure of self-control through the power of your Spirit. Help me to be a source of encouragement to those around me through what I say. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
