Whether it be spam, snail-mail, telemarketers, or political cold-calls (love those, don't you?)--I don't see the point. I throw away a good half of the mail I get (sorry to the letter carriers) without even opening it. As for spam--that's automatically filtered out. And political calls or telemarketers? 5 second conversation. Tops.
I simply don't have the energy or time to waste. I know someone expended a lot of resources getting that particular piece of communication to me, but as far as I'm concerned, it's trash.
The same is true when we talk.
I'm no Puritan. I've used about every word you're not supposed to use as every conceivable part of speech. I'm not proud of it, just being honest. What came from all that effort, all that mastery of the English language?
Nothing.
The breath used to utter those unwholesome words was wasted. What poured out of my lips was trash, pure and simple. No better than the credit card offers and letters congratulating me on my free trip to Cancun cluttering my mailbox.
A big fat waste of time and oxygen.
I'd have been better off saying nothing at all.
Thumper's momma in the movie Bambi had it about right: If you can't say something nice, don't say nuttin' at all.
In Ephesians 4:29 Paul says it this way: 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.
No unwholesome talk. Only what is helpful. Building others up according to their needs. That it may benefit those who listen.
If you can't say something useful, don't say nuttin' at all.
I told you that lady rabbit wasn't far off. I've referenced profanity above, but that isn't all Paul is talking about. He's talking about words that tear down instead of build up. He's talking about tripping others up with your words instead of helping them along. He's talking about casting shadows instead of being the light we are called to be.
If your words are not useful, they're trash. Junk mail. Hopefully, whoever you're talking to has a good spam filter, but what if they don't? What if that virus you just sent out finds it's way into their network of friends and family?
It could lead to a whole system crash.
Think before you speak.
Words are powerful. Satan loves to talk. God's Word is eternal. Those are the three previous blogs this week. Think about those things before you say anything.
Understand that what you say will have an impact.
Even if you're just talking trash.
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