Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Memory of the Month: Proverbs 15:1-A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Today's reading: ISAIAH 11-13 EPHESIANS 4
Fresh Words
Paul writes to the Ephesians and says in chapter 4,
29 "Don’t let even one rotten word seep out of your mouths. Instead, offer only fresh words that build others up when they need it most. That way your good words will communicate grace to those who hear them."
At first glance, we come away from this verse hearing the word 'rotten' and this might be listed in our minds as one of the 'don'ts' of the Bible. I want us to see the rest of the scripture that tells us to be positive with our words.
This comes from the 'Voice translation' and so I went to the interlinear to see if the idea of 'fresh' was somehow implied since I had not seen it translated like that before. What I found was this:
'words that originate from God and are empowered by Him in their life,'
Paul tells us to speak words that are fresh-words that originate from the Holy Spirit.
If you have ever waited in line and heard one of the employees of the place say the same thing over and over, it gets a little 'old'.
"Watch your step; stay in line; have your documents ready..."
They are saying what they have been told. I do remember a little old fellow who was quoting a service from the manual of his organization from memory and it was quite lengthy. His memory was impressive but his delivery was what made such an impression on most of us there. He was so animated and he made the words as his own. He was believable...
Charles Dickens wrote, "Life is a series of partings welded together".
Shakespeare wrote, "Parting is such sweet sorrow".
Dickens' statement is rather dry. Shakepeare's has emotion and suggests the speaker find good in the sad situations.
I am not saying that to walk away from the cash register at the store is a sweet sorrow-but think about it. Even though it has cost you part of your savings, you do have groceries to feed you and others-so- sweet for the food, sorrow for the expenditure.
The point: What is the last thing you said to the person at the last store you walked out of? Was it encouraging? Was it cold? Was it real? Was it 'fresh'?
I suggest that if we walk in Christ in use of the mind of Christ, that our words are always deliberately kind and fresh. If we walk in the spirit our words will be seasoned with salt.
Colossians 4:6 ►Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Nehemiah 2:4 “What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven 5and answered the king..."
Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the king. He was trusted by the King as a friend who would tell the king the truth. But this was in serious conversation. How long did Nehemiah pray? It must have been only a fleeting second because he answered the king in the same breath.
Partings in this life are many times just fleeting seconds and the last words you say to someone out in public or in a business many times are a lasting impression.
A child of God, a believer in our resurrected Christ Jesus as Lord of all should always be in conversation with the Holy Spirit as we walk this life-every step. If this is the case, our conversation will always be seasoned with the salt of God's righteousness.
What if it is not? What if we have berated a person or insulted them? Well, it is just wrong. But you cannot change what has happened in the past-you can only be right the next time you have a chance.
We can remember to be like Nehemiah and pray to God that we give the answer He wants us to give.
If we say, "Have a nice day" or "Be blessed" and we say it all the time--stop and ask God in that fleeting moment. Look the person in the eye with God's love and be genuine as you say, "Have a nice day".
This may seem to some as such a small thing but I can tell you as a person who worked in a public position for years, it is a big thing.
Be remembered for kind and encouraging words-not foul and rude. You are a child of the king-the Prince of peace-your words are weighed and measured by those who hear.
There is always loving to do...
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven,
I confess I am not always an ambassador of Your love. I let my temper get short and I get impatient. Remind me, God, to seek You for every word that comes out of my mouth.
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