Bible Verse of the Day Sunday October 8th, 2023

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Verse 29 is the fourth of five exhortations that Paul gives to the Ephesians and all his readers down through the ages in this chapter. “Unwholesome talk” includes dishonesty, lying, complaining, and any conversation that might cause hurt or dissent throughout the body of Christ. The unwholesome talk spoken of by Paul here in this verse could lead to the introduction of false teachings creeping into the church.

We should only communicate to others things that will benefit them, talk that will hold our brothers and sisters up in esteem, all for the glory of God. When we complain about something in our lives, we are not only speaking against God, but we could be causing discouragement in those around us. Let us remember that one of the actual fruits of the spirit is love; when we communicate these complaints to people who love us, it could cause disappointment or despair in that person. At the very least, it will not benefit those who listen, so if what we are about to communicate to someone does not build them up, we should keep quiet.

An unwholesome mouth stems from an unwholesome heart. There is a correlation between the mouth and the heart. Since any unwholesome talk comes from the heart, it can be evidence of corruption in the heart (Matthew 12:34). The only cure for a contaminated heart is not simple heart surgery but a complete and total heart transplant (Ezekiel 36:26).

The world we live in today enjoys tearing others down. We see this on some reality TV shows and abrasive and crude exchanges on some talk radio programs. True authentic Christianity rests upon a solid foundation of the love of Christ Jesus. It finds its continued growth as we build each other up, instead of tearing each other down (Romans 14:19; 2 Corinthians 13:10). William Author Ward once wrote: “Flatter me and I may not believe you, criticize me and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you, but encourage me, and I will never forget you.” There was an elderly lady who always went to the local Post Office to buy her stamps. One day, she stood in a long line when someone said, “There is a stamp machine in the lobby; you don’t have to stand in this long line.” The lady responded: “the machines never ask me about my arthritis.”

We never know when speaking to someone when they might need a few kind and encouraging words. It could be a lost person who may not have ever heard about the love of Christ Jesus, and our encouraging words might be the message they need to be sensitive to the calling from the Holy Spirit to accept Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior.