Ephesians 4:29 “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.”

SPIT THAT OUT

What is an “unwholesome word”? Well, that word in the Greek means rotten, putrid or unfit. Get the picture? It’s a word used for rotten fruit or vegetables. Have you ever bitten into an apple that looked so good on the outside but was rotten to the core? What did you do? Did you continue to chew up that apple and swallow it? Of course not. You spit it out as quickly as you could.

Rotten words don’t belong in your mouth either. The problem is we spit those words on others. They pop in our minds and into our mouths, and we spew them on the unsuspecting. There is nothing good about that. Not for you and not for the other person.

TEACHING MOMENT

Do your children hear you spewing those “unwholesome” words? They may not be ugly words, but they may still be rotten or putrid. Do you say things about others that you wish they hadn’t heard? Do you say a “little white lie” while on the phone in front of them? Unwholesome, rotten, nasty, unfit words!

We are all guilty of letting our tongue get ahead of us at times. The difference is that we must die to our own vocabulary and use God’s words. Use words like love, peace, acceptance, unity and forgiveness. Now, aren’t those nicer words? Aren’t those words you want your children to use? When we use those words there is no need to get the soap to wash our mouths out. When we use those words, others are drawn to us and not repelled.

It is your choice, however. Good words or bad words?