“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.” (Ephesians 4:29)

I suppose things could have changed over the years, but when I was in the service, we were taught to keep our words simple and to the point when using the radios. In those days, radio communications was shared across each unit operating within the region. So the time allotted to any one particular unit on the radio channel was limited. We needed to express the message in short bursts, keeping the information clear and concise. Nothing extra, just the facts with enough words to accurately convey the information.

In today’s scripture, we have a similar constraint from Paul to the Ephesians. Paul is saying that we need to choose our words carefully, and possibly our battles even more so. Our communications with others needs to be purposefully designed for the betterment of the receiver. He specifically states, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths” meaning all speech needs to be constructive and conducive to the well-being of those we communicate with. Our language is to be geared towards helping others and nothing else. Lastly, Paul states that we are to communicate in this way so “that it may benefit those who listen.” Today we communicate in many ways, across many different platforms (talking, texting, messaging, posting…). Applying Paul’s command to our modern day lives means that in each way we communicate, we are to ensure our words are purposely constructed to build up and strength others. All that we say, post, and text should add value and serve a benefit. This is probably more challenging for us today than any other generation. But in a world were good advice is so rare, let’s ensure our words will benefit those who listen.