Ephesians 4:29-32 - “Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you. And do not make God’s Holy Spirit sad; for the Spirit is God’s mark of ownership on you, a guarantee that the Day will come when God will set you free. Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort. Instead, be kind and tender- hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ.”

Words can hurt, especially when they come from someone we care about. Whether we are the giver or receiver, we should always be mindful of what we say. Our emotions often get the better of us, usually to our detriment, which is all the more reason to hold Jesus close at all times. We can read the Bible through hundreds of times, but unless its message has pierced our heart and penetrated our spirit, we might just as well have stared at a blank page. Our main duty as believers is to reflect Christ in every aspect of our life, including words that we say. We may never know that the ripples we make with our speech may turn into floods. We could easily be the one who says just the right thing at just the right time to just the right person that makes them become a modern day Paul. And even if we haven’t been part of something that big, we’ve been warned by Christ himself about the dangers of turning others away from the faith (see Matthew 18:6). Just as it takes fewer muscles to smile than it does to frown, it takes less effort to say nothing at all than it does to speak discouragingly. Thumper said it best in the Disney movie “Bambi”: If ya can’t say nuthin’ nice ... don’t say nuthin’ at all.