Talk

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that is may give grace to those who hear" Ephesians 4:29.

AHH (that was a yell). Have you ever been talking to someone and slowly gotten very sick of hearing yourself speak? That was yesterday for me. In trying to communicate about a friend's situation to another friend I found myself being very critical and casting hues of gray with my opinion over the situation instead of simply conveying facts and allowing the friend to know and be able to help. There was nothing wrong in itself for telling the story, no confidence broken, no allegiance cut but I do not know why we are so anxious to be critical of other's decisions and lifestyles when it does not build them up and we would not want someone doing it to us.

Ugh. We fill the air with all kinds of words that have no shining quality to even be spoken. I laughed with my friend yesterday when we talked about why girls always have to comment about people right after they leave. It doesn't matter if it's a good or bad comment, but some comment will be made when someone leaves. It's habit- but it's usually a terrible one.

Do my words "give grace" to those who hear? Do my words "build up" my friends and work towards making them better, more consistent and joyful people? Do I justify talking about people because I'm conveying a message to another friend or because 'I need to vent'? We think we have this great right and authority to vent but where does that need come from? Where did it start? Our motive behind venting is to make ourselves feel better, to relieve ourselves from unwanted tension and discontent because things didn't go like we wanted. Things didn't go according to our perfect life plan- that person didn't adore and magnify me like I wanted them to so now I'm mad. I mask it by pointing out their pride, their stubborn nature, their selfishness but those things are masks to the higher problem of my world revolving around me.

We've got to turn ourselves back to Jesus, back to His great sacrifice, back to His mercy so that we can "let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from [us], along with malice [so that we can] be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave [us]" (4:31-32).