Watch your Words

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. —Ephesians 4:29 (NASB)

Ephesians 4:29 (AMP) clarifies unwholesome as foul, profane, worthless, and vulgar. Ephesians 4:29 (NLT) says: Don’t use foul or abusive language. Think of your words as containers. They hold the power of death or life (Proverbs
18:21). What are your containers full of? Are the words you speak full of death or life? Are they negative or positive? Do they hold the poisonous venom of jealousy and bitterness or the life-giving words of love and wisdom? Do the words that come out of your mouth promote fear or faith, division or unity? Are they hurtful or healing? Are your words angry and explosive or peace-inducing? Do they deflate others or lift them up?

In order to be gracious in our speech, we need to put the Word of God in our containers by meditating on the Word day and night (Joshua 1:8). If the Word is put into the containers of our hearts, that is what will come out of our mouths. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34)