Isaiah 63-54, Isaiah 65: 1-16, Ephesians 4: 17-32, Psalm 143
Ephesians 4: 29 (ESV)
“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.”
Verse 29 from Ephesians 4 shows Paul’s advice to the Church
of Ephesus on how to conduct yourself as a person who is born again as a
believer in Christ. Paul reminds us to make sure what comes out of mouth and
watch our tongue. As a person of faith, we need to make that what comes out of
our mouth will build people up, and not put them down. What we say needs to fit
the occasion and give grace to the people who hear us. Frederick Fyvie Bruce
wrote in his bible commentary on Ephesians that corrupting talk means “Not only
obscene vulgarity but slanderous and contemptuous talk.”
Paul’s words are such good advice on how to get along with people,
but also how to behave in a relationship. When I read these words, they remind
me of the advice marriage therapists give to people who want to stay married. Do
your words to your spouse build them up? Do they give grace to your spouse? Are
your words to your spouse always kind? These are great questions to ask when
thinking about how you communicate not only to your spouse, your best friend, a
family member, or even random strangers. If we want to behave more like a person
of faith, we need to think about what comes out of our mouth and follow Paul’s recommendations.
No comments:
Post a Comment