You said what?

When you talk, don’t say anything bad. But say the good things that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you. (Ephesians 4:29)

It isn't 'if' you talk, but 'when' you talk - indicating that we are all bound to say things without thinking now and again! We might not 'plan' our words all that well at times, allowing errant thought and not so wholesome communication to escape. When that happens, relationships get tweaked out of shape and sometimes things go awry in ways we never quite thought about when we were 'speaking' those words. I had a college professor that always reminded us that Satan is the prince of the power of the air and our words leave our mouths - travel through air - and then are heard by someone. He asked us if it was possible that 'air space' gave any chance for Satan for 'tweak' those words in tone or inflection, effectively 'changing' those words a bit. I don't know if that is the case, but I do know that I have said things one way, they have been heard another, and the issues that resulted were not what I imagined!

I think the principle he was trying to teach us is that we need to be very aware of what we say. Attitude affects how things 'come out' of our mouths as much as it does when the hearer finally receives those words. We need to guard our 'attitude' because it affects the 'altitude' of the words spoken! Will those words help anyone grow stronger, build them up, or create a hope that is desperately needed? If not, maybe they need to be rethought before they are spoken. It is hard to get control over our words, as many of us know, but to really learn to use words to bless and not tear down is a true 'gift' of the Spirit in our lives. When we commit our words to him, we are less likely to speak forth the ones that will bring harm or hurt. Maybe that is why Christ told his disciples to not think about what they would say when they went out into the various cities, but to count on the Spirit of God to direct their words. He knew they would be best received if they were filtered through the Spirit.

Say good things that will help people grow. This is our mission in communicating with one another. That doesn't leave much room for idle words, unwholesome, or hurtful ones. It does leave room for us to rely upon the Spirit of God to help us communicate in ways that honor God. We only get to that point when we really 'lean into' the presence of God each day, allowing him to take control of our thoughts and words, setting us 'on task' with him. Just sayin!