Thursday: The Impact of Our Words
Read: Ephesians 4:29, Proverbs 16:24, Proverbs 16:28
SOAP: Ephesians 4:29
You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Devotion:
Our words are more powerful than we can imagine. We use them carelessly, but they have the power to build up relationships or destroy them. Few of us can honestly say that every word that comes out of our mouths is beneficial, but this is the instruction given to the church in Ephesians. With a tool so powerful comes the responsibility to use it carefully. Rather than spouting off whatever comes to mind, whatever gets a laugh, or whatever feels good in the moment, we have the responsibility to ask: does this build up another person or tear them down?
Even words we think mean very little can have significant repercussions. A moment of harsh sarcasm or a joke that goes too far might be okay by the world’s standards, but the bar is set higher for believers in this passage. When our words have the power to bring grace to those who need it, we should seriously reconsider using them for anything less than such a high calling.
Prayer:
God, help me understand the power of my words. Give me opportunities to use them to build other people up and convict me when I want to use them to tear other people down. Amen.