Whether it's right or wrong, it’s too easy to lose someone’s trust and too hard to regain it, so be careful with your words. Your words are not just sounds that come from air pushed through your teeth and tongue. Often, the emotions attached to them carry entire worlds. That's why a careless sentence or single word can live much longer than the moment you spoke it.
How many times have you replayed over and over something someone said? Paul’s instruction in Ephesians is supposed to lead us to holiness. “Let no evil, or corrupting, talk come out of your mouths but only what is good for building up.” Now, some of us take that to mean we need to be loud and pressing in the way we tell the truth. But I see it as a call for spiritual responsibility. In a sense, grace is not only something we speak, but it's also the grammar of our living.
You and I live in a world that profits from corrupt talk. Social media rwards the quick jab, the clever burn, the joke that makes people laugh, even at the expense of another person's dignity. The corrupt communication we're used to doesn't even have to be truthful, just ear-tickling. But the kingdom of God does not advance on sarcasm alone. The Spirit moves through truth spoken in love. A good word, then, is like bread for people who are hungry for dignity. So pause before speaking. Not just because you may offend someone. The truth will offend people (even you). But learn how to speak out of reverence for God. Ask whether your words will heal or wound, whether they will invite someone closer to the heart of God or push them further into shame. And do your absolute best to say things that people can trust. Stay blessed...john | 
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