01.22.03

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. - Ephesians 4:29-32.

There are many reasons to be careful about what you say and here are some real life examples. In 1994 John Luckett attended a meeting in which Sarah Brady delivered a gun control speech. Luckett vigorously heckled Brady but his heckling was a little too vigorous and Luckett (age 70) died of a heart attack.

In 1996 in Bedford, Virginia, John M. Kirby was driving around with a car full of friends when he passed some police officers. Kirby decided to show what an amazing person he was to his passengers by shouting some trashy things to the officers. The officers noticed a faulty taillight on Kirby’s vehicle, pursued and stopped him. The officers found that Kirby had a suspended driver’s license and also some marijuana in his vehicle.

In 1997 Ronnie Wade Cater was in a bar in Hampton, Virginia and had been drinking for some time. Cater was concerned that police might stop him for drunk driving on the way home. So, he called in a bomb threat saying the bomb was at another bar thinking that officers would leave the area and go to the other bar. But Cater enjoying his bomb threat call stayed on the phone a little too long and the call was traced. And, Cater was arrested.

I learned a long time ago that the very best thing to say to a police officer was only “Yes Sir,” and “No Sir.” Those words that come out of our mouths can cause so much trouble!! On the other hand if we are careful only to say those things that we believe will build other people up - words can be a source of much good. How wonderful it would be if all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking and malice were put away from us. What a wonderful world it would be!

If every hateful or unkind word that you have ever heard or read were erased from your memory you would be a different person than you are now. I know I would be. If I could erase every hateful word that I have ever said or written I would have a more peaceful life and my relationship with some people would be so much better.

The fact is that we cannot erase the unkind and hateful words we have heard or that we have said. But we can extend forgiveness to those who have lashed out at us and we can apologize to those we have spoken to in an unkind way. We can also go to our Lord seeking His forgiveness committing ourselves to speaking only what is kind and good. What better time then now to make that commitment?