Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.
- Ephesians 4:29
One of my prized possessions is a wooden baseball bat I’ve had since high school. When I hold that bat, memories come flooding back of taking batting practice with my brother and hitting tennis balls over the neighbor’s yard. It makes me think about hours spent outside playing my favorite game—and it makes me look forward to the hours yet to come, because that bat is already something Andrew and Katherine try to lift, something that could bring us together for many years.
Of course, the bat has another use too. When Lindsey and I awoke one night to a sound outside and feared that there might be an intruder, the bat was what I grabbed for protection. As I inched along the perimeter of our house, the bat was transformed from a nostalgic toy to a blunt instrument, from a tool to a weapon. The same bat that I associated with so much joy could also be used to inflict pain.
Words are the same way—they can build up or tear down. They can be constructive or destructive. They can bring people together or pull them apart. It all depends on how they are used.
The Bible encourages us to put our words to good use, building up others and giving grace with our speech. When employed as encouragement, wise counsel, prayer, and affirmation, well-chosen words can be an expression of love, something that brings people closer to one another and to the Lord.
So
may your words be wielded as tools rather than weapons, as something to build
people up instead of tear them down. Words are powerful—so what effect are
yours producing?
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