- Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
- Colossians 3:8 - But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
- Romans 1:28-31 - And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29)
God wants our speech to be pleasing to Him. Therefore, there should be no place in our lives for empty, useless, or hurtful words. Scripture teaches us to put away such words (Colossians 3:8).
In Romans 1:28-31, the apostle Paul reminds us that God has revealed Himself to all people and has called us to a holy life. In this passage, gossip is also listed among the sins we should avoid. Looking at Paul's full list, we see that none of it beautifies a person, and all of these things harm both us and our testimony. But we must confess that sometimes we all fall into such things — we envy, we hide the truth, we act without love, or we gossip.
Paul also shows us how our speech should be: the words that come out of our mouths should uplift, inspire, and minister grace to people.
Before speaking, it is useful to ask ourselves these questions: • Does this word glorify God? • Does this word strengthen the person in front of me?
We should also pray and ask the Lord to control our tongues so that our words point people to Him.
Gossip brings no good into anyone's life. Therefore, God warns us against it. On the contrary, our words should build up, comfort, and encourage others.
Reflection
Before speaking, how can we check if our words glorify God and strengthen our listeners?
