I like words. If I didn’t, writing these devotionals and occasional sermons would be difficult. The hard part is that I can sometimes get stuck on trying to jam in the most “perfectest” word for any given situation. The unfortunate truth is no one, me included, is ever impressed by someone who uses $10, blossoming, multi-syllabic words.
No, it rarely matters which words you actually use as long as you get your point across correctly. And that’s where we need to focus. Do the words you use accurately let people know who you are? When people hear you speak, or see you write do they get the picture of someone who claims to be a follower of Christ?
In our modern world it has become way too easy to just dump our opinions without facing any real repercussions. Mike Tyson once posted, "Social media made y'all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it." What we do when there are few consequences matters.
Paul in Ephesians 4:29-32
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
When you feel those words bubbling up in your mind how can you redirect them? Does what you want to say contribute to people learning more about your identity in Christ? Or does it just spread more anger and hate in the world?
The world sadly seems to have plenty of that right now. We don’t need to add more. Especially not “in the name of Jesus.”