Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
I marvel at how SPECIFIC God is in His Word concerning so many truths and directives for us as Christians. (I need to clarify this statement – I don’t marvel at what God says, I marvel that I don’t pay attention to what God says!)
The Bible is FULL of instructions concerning how God desires for us to live and yet so often these truths do not motivate us to follow God’s ways. It seems that the ugly characteristic called ‘self’ keeps getting in the way!
This one verse in Ephesians 4:29 is a good example of this truth. These instructions are totally clear. There is no room for misinterpreting what God is saying.
Basically, God is telling us that whatever comes out of our mouth should be God honoring and should always build up those that are hearing us. God certainly cannot be more specific than this – “Let NO corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.” Not ever, no way, under no circumstances should this ever be allowed. And YET, how often are we not careful about what we say or even think about how it affects others. Shame on us for not heeding God’s Words.
I’m sure that you’ve heard the statement, “If you don’t have anything good to say – don’t say anything at all.” This is a Scriptural principle and should be followed – all the time. Think about how you speak to others – your spouse, your children, your fellow workers, your church family, that person that rubs you the wrong way and makes you angry. Are you careful how you speak to all of them? Probably not – but you should be.
God didn’t just put His instructions on how He wants us to live into the Scriptures to fill up space. These are truths that He desires for us to follow. It’s time for us to stop and care about how God desires for us to live – and talk! It’s time to heed the Words of God and incorporate them into our lives.