By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
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.
Ephesians 4:29
Words have great power. The Lord says death and life are in the power of the tongue. Many is the person who has been driven to great extremes because of something that was said.
Here our Lord says that Christians who have put on the new man harness that power for good and not evil.
The word ‘corrupt’ speaks of something rotten or putrid, such as food that has gone off in your refrigerator. You open the door of your refrigerator and get hit by an awful smell.
Rather than let smelly words proceed from our lips, the Lord says we will edify. That word speaks of construction. Our words will build others up.
That last phrase speaks of serving and helping those who hear us. We can add strength to one who is uncertain, feeling especially weak, or defeated.
What a blessing a Christian’s mouth can be!
Father, use my tongue to encourage and minister. Refresh Your people through my words. When someone needs correction, help me to speak the truth in love, and with a motivation to build them up. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.