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.”
Have you ever seen those ancient maps that depict the end of the known world? Now imagine if you could draw on the map what people encountered at the end of the world and it actually came to life. That’s how powerful the words that you speak are. As one person said, words shape worlds. Literally the earth was shaped by the Word of God. A child’s world is shaped by the words parents speak to them every day. And your words shape the atmosphere you live in and work in.
Paul says don’t let any “unwholesome,” also translated “rotten,” talk come out of your mouth. Only what is “helpful for building others up.” People may live up to the labels we create and become heroes and saints. Or they may slide down into the pits we dig for them and become rotten—imbeciles and monsters. What mold are we casting for people?
One word of blessing from the our Heavenly Father can cut through twenty years of turmoil and confusion and restore life. One destructive word from us can be like an earthquake that rocks people off their foundation. I’ve seen it go both ways.
In Ephesians 1:3 we learn that God is blessed and that he blesses us. Imagine if, in every conversation, you and I gave people a gift of blessing. It could either be a gift from us, or a gift from our Heavenly Father. Imagine if we exuded positive encouragement, fortitude, confidence and compassion that pushed people upward. And imagine if we could actually tune into Father God’s heart and hidden thoughts, and we quietly began speaking those words of life to people. What does the Father see in them? Who does the Father see them becoming? How is the Father drawing them to himself? What does the Father want to say to them? Speak that! Speak the Father’s destiny. That’s more than positivity, that’s listening to the Father and helping his kingdom break into their reality.
We have the power to map out the edge of the world for people. May it be of God and his blessings, life, adventure, and purpose.
Tags: encouragement, powerful, words, positive, wholesome, rotten
