Well, I’ve been challenged but it’s not a fun one. Definitely not one that I want to take on but none the less feel called to walk in.
Ephesians 4:29 “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.” ESV
Some translations use this comment where it says “as fits the occasion”, they say “say only what is necessary”. Wow that is a tough one. So anything that I talk about that does not first of edify someone or build them up, and secondly is necessary, really I shouldn’t say. Honestly I probably just shouldn’t talk 99% of the time cause it’s meaningless banter.
God calls us in many places to speak, so that isn’t it at all. He doesn’t want you to take a vow of silence, but sometimes just close your mouth. Exodus 14:14 “The LORD fights for you while you are silent.” Maybe the stuff we talk about is actually not pleasing to God. See that’s what it is for me, I don’t want to do anything that isn’t pleasing to him. I want to please him in everything I do and know that I’ve left God with a smile after everything I do.
Earlier in that chapter verses 25-27 it speaks of being honest with one another, then immediately after it speaks about being angry. It says be angry, but do not let the sun go down on your anger. So anger is not a sin but holding it in judgement or as a grudge then is. So our concern must not be at the way that the person we are speaking to takes the words we are saying but instead should be concerned with the words themselves that they are truth and necessary.
So if someone is caused to be angry then how can that be edifying as we told our words should be in verse 29.
This is how I interpret it from my own personal situations. There are times that you need to speak truth to someone that isn’t very nice to hear and could cause the receiver to be upset but after the immediate emotions leave them they realize it was in love and that it was truth and they needed to hear it.
Now that is my experience mostly, sometimes it doesn’t work that well.
K anyways back to this thing.
James talks about how the tongue has the power to bring life or death. So really we need to be conscious of our speech at all times. No matter what
Really what this comes down to is us having to be aware of everything that proceeds from our mouth.
Imagine the world full of people that are edifying each other are lifting one another up. This is hard to believe but I would love to see it and hopefully can alter my life to be one that would fit into that world.
Later
