Words That Heal Rather Than Harm

In our own homes and workplaces, and across our country and around the world, we see the sad results of words that tear down community and set people against one another. The Christian aim is different: “Only say what is helpful when it is needed for building up the community” (Ephesians 4:29). Treating other people with bitterness, anger, shouting, and slander damages and often destroys relationships. But letting Christ change your life from the inside out opens you to growing qualities like compassion, kindness, and a forgiving heart—qualities God uses to strengthen and heal our relationships, even in times of heated divisions.

• Scholar N. T. Wright noted that people “enslaved to anger and malice may think they are ‘free’ to ‘be themselves,’ but they are in bondage”—trapped by destructive patterns. * Have you ever said hurtful words and wondered, “Why did I say that?” What helps you understand your feelings better so you don’t blurt out damaging words? Before forwarding that email or posting that harsh quip on social media, are you willing to pause and ask: “Does this give grace? Does it build up? Can I picture Jesus sending this?”
• Today’s reading didn’t say, “Behave nicely to others—no matter how much you despise them inside.” It called for genuine inner transformation. William Barclay explained that Paul used the Greek word chrēstos for “kind,” which meant “the disposition of mind which thinks as much of its neighbor’s affairs as it does of its own.” ** Our calling is to forgive others as God forgave us and treat others as Jesus Christ has treated us. In what areas of your life do you most want to live this way? Where do you need Christ’s help to genuinely treat others as he has treated you?