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presented by Lisa Bishop
If you were to take inventory of your words over the past 48 hours, would you describe them as grace-filled?
We are given instructions to:
Never let ugly or hateful words come from your mouth, but instead let your words become beautiful gifts that encourage others; do this by speaking words of grace to help them (Ephesians 4:29).
Other versions say, let no unwholesome words come from your mouth, which means words that are rotten, corrupted, of poor quality are worthless. That is a strong warning, and one we can be prone to bypass, especially when we get caught up in office dynamics.
One of the most impactful ways to show God’s grace in your workplace is by filtering your words through the Holy Spirit before they fly out of your mouth. When people around you are grumbling and complaining about their work or their boss, talking poorly behind a coworker’s back, or speaking in a crude or insensitive way, you’ve got a secret weapon, and that weapon is grace.
And when I say weapon, I do not mean it in the harmful sense but in the powerful godly sense. The words should flow from your mouth and cultivate a healthy workplace culture. You may think you do not have much influence to impact a culture, but you do. Your words will either sow beauty that builds up and encourages, or they will be careless and tear down, discourage, and disparage others. Words that lack any sense of grace destroy harmony and collaboration.
Are your words beautiful gifts or atomic bombs? Do they bolster connection or are they like a termite slowly eating away at the structure of your relationships?
You’ve heard the phrase, “Think before you speak.” Before words roll off your tongue, put them through the THINK filter.
Are your words:
T—Tested? (meaning put through the test of grace)
H—Helpful?
I—Inspiring?
N—Necessary?
K—Kind?
If someone were to hear your words or eavesdrop on your conversation, would they get a proper representation of Jesus? Would they hear words of grace falling from your lips? Let’s commit together to THINK before we speak and let our words be a gift of grace to those who hear them.