The Power Of Your Words: Part 2 Speak Truth In Love
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29
As we have discussed in the previous blog, your words are very powerful for your own life as well as what you speak to others.
I know that this is an area that I have to continually work on in my life. I don’t ever want to hurt someone with what I say or how I say it, but I know that when I am frustrated or tired, my filter over my mouth becomes less and less. It is at those times that I have hurt others because of the sharpness of my words.
Ephesians 4:30 goes on to say, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” So not only do your negative words hurt others, but the scripture says that it grieves the Holy Spirit who is living on the inside of you.
If the words we say didn’t have power, it wouldn’t matter to the Holy Spirit. But God loves everyone. Therefore when you use the power of your words to hurt someone intentionally or not, it hurts God too.
Verses 31 and 32 get specific on what you should or shouldn’t say. The Amplified Bible says it this way, “Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.”
I admit that is very hard – especially if you have been hurt by someone. Now, I am not saying you can’t speak up about injustices, but HOW you speak up is just as important.
People are bashing each other – saying awful things about the “other side” because of opposing viewpoints. I have watched Christians (both Republican and Democrat) be, as the scripture says, full of bitterness, indignation, wrath, anger, animosity, quarreling, and abusive language being spewed out under the guise of “doing the Lord’s work.”
According to the scripture here, they are not doing anyone a service. In the process, the Holy Spirit is being grieved. People often say, “the truth hurts,” as if that statement makes bashing someone acceptable.
Yes, the truth hurts, but it’s this kind of truth from the Bible. It hurts when we are met directly with THE TRUTH – GOD’S TRUTH, about HOW we act and talk about others. The truth is, we all need to repent from how we have been talking about others with different viewpoints. That doesn’t mean that you have to agree with someone with a differing view, but it does mean that you can speak kindly.
I don’t like to get political on Social Media mainly because I hate conflict (I’m an enneagram 9). But I have noticed that I have been blocked by some because I post positive, Christ-based messages.
People are NOT going to agree with you because you are kind, they are not going to respect you because you are tenderhearted, but that doesn’t matter. Verse 32 ends by saying, “FORGIVING one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
You can’t control what others say and do, but you can control what YOU say and do. So, here is what YOU can do:
Repent. Most of us need to ask God to forgive us for what we have said about or to others. 1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Choose to forgive. Just as God through Christ forgave you, forgive others who have hurt you or have come against what you believe in. If Christ forgave the ones who were beating and crucifying Him, we too can forgive people who are persecuting us.
Speak the truth in love. You don’t have to back down from your beliefs to walk in love. Someone is more apt to listen to you if you are kind in your approach. Ephesians 4:15 says, “Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow in every way.”
I want to challenge you to pay attention to the words coming out of your mouth – about yourself and others. Make the choice to let your words bring grace (unmerited favor) to the hearer.