“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that is may give grace to those who hear.” – Ephesians 4.29. “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of he time. Let our speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” – Colossians 4.5+6.
God puts much stock in words.
Many of the verses we read refer in some way to words spoken [do a study on the the word ‘word’ in your Bible*].
But do we ever really take heed of the words we say on a daily basis?
The verse in Ephesians speaks about giving ‘grace to those who hear’ our words. How do we do this?
We give ‘grace to those who hear’ when our words are soft and like honey and ‘turn away wrath’ (Proverbs 15.1). It is when, even when we are rebuking someone, they come away feeling loved and cared for.
But this is not only for those people we are speaking to: What is the person overhearing your conversation thinking? Those in the table next to you at the restaurant? The woman hearing the man talking to his son?
Are you speaking in such a way that they hear rainbows in your speech? Are your words seasoned with salt – tasty to hear? [Excuse the mixed metaphors, but the Bible seems ok with that.]
When you know how to answer each one, you allow them to find the grace of the Father.
When we are speaking rainbows, what we leave behind is God’s Presence and His feelings and thoughts toward those we speak to.
We also leave joy and love behind. It is like leaving a smile behind. Are people left with your smile when you leave the room?
This is wisdom. Especially when it comes to those not of the faith listening in to the conversations of Christians.
Unfortunately we haven’t done a very good job a lot of the time in our exclamations about the world and people different to us.
Would you join with me counting your words. Speaking rainbows to all, influencing thoughts with positivity and leaving smiles everywhere we go?
Father, I thank you for saving us to direct people to yourself; to show others your grace, your love and your joy. May you, Holy Spirit, put a guard in front of our mouths and, as the Helper, help us to display you in our meditations and thoughts and therefore in our words – as from the overflow of our hearts, our mouths speak… In Jesus’ name we pray. – So be it.
*There are some incredible verses on 'words' some of which I have been really caught up on and may comment on in future posts...