Respectful Curiosity
Devotional
READ: Ephesians 4:29
I need to confess something. Sometimes, I can be a negative person. My natural tendency is to focus on what needs to be fixed and only sometimes on what is going well. This often leads to what I call a negativity loop: The more I focus on negativity, the more I find to be negative about.
Here is how it typically works: I encounter something I don't like, so I begin to examine everything I don't like about the situation. Then, the next time I encounter that situation or a similar one, I immediately start looking for everything wrong. There is probably a lot of good, but I can't see it because I am not looking for the good, only the negative. What makes this negativity loop the worst is that I inevitably start pointing out all the bad to other people to convince them they must be angry about this situation, too. The conditions causing this are not vast social injustices that should upset everyone. I'm talking about someone cutting me off in traffic, not refilling the paper drawer in the office printer, or leaving a dirty spoon on the counter instead of putting it in the dishwasher.
This is why I can feel really convicted by Ephesians 4:29: "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear."
The word unwholesome here refers to something foul or rotten – basically garbage. You wouldn't surround yourself with garbage inside your house, so why would you allow it to take over your speech? After all, Jesus tells us that "the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart" (Matthew 15:18). If our speech is filled with garbage, what is our heart filled with? If we are to be the kind of encourager that God is asking us to be, we need to constantly examine our hearts' content. Are we harboring resentment towards someone? Are we jealous of someone else's success where we have longed to succeed but only experience failure?
These thoughts create garbage in our minds, and we can expect those thoughts to eventually make their way out of our mouths and into the ears of others. That is not the way God instructs us to encourage one another.
The best way to combat this is to regularly present yourself for examination to God. You can do this by reading scripture and allowing it to shine a light on areas that need attention. Prayer is another way to examine yourself. Talk to God and ask Him to bring these things to your attention and remove these thoughts from your mind (and then let Him do it!). By examining our hearts regularly with God and allowing Him to take out the garbage, we are in a much better position to notice when someone is going through a difficult situation and then be able to point them to God rather than point out all the bad.
I need to confess something. Sometimes, I can be a negative person. My natural tendency is to focus on what needs to be fixed and only sometimes on what is going well. This often leads to what I call a negativity loop: The more I focus on negativity, the more I find to be negative about.
Here is how it typically works: I encounter something I don't like, so I begin to examine everything I don't like about the situation. Then, the next time I encounter that situation or a similar one, I immediately start looking for everything wrong. There is probably a lot of good, but I can't see it because I am not looking for the good, only the negative. What makes this negativity loop the worst is that I inevitably start pointing out all the bad to other people to convince them they must be angry about this situation, too. The conditions causing this are not vast social injustices that should upset everyone. I'm talking about someone cutting me off in traffic, not refilling the paper drawer in the office printer, or leaving a dirty spoon on the counter instead of putting it in the dishwasher.
This is why I can feel really convicted by Ephesians 4:29: "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear."
The word unwholesome here refers to something foul or rotten – basically garbage. You wouldn't surround yourself with garbage inside your house, so why would you allow it to take over your speech? After all, Jesus tells us that "the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart" (Matthew 15:18). If our speech is filled with garbage, what is our heart filled with? If we are to be the kind of encourager that God is asking us to be, we need to constantly examine our hearts' content. Are we harboring resentment towards someone? Are we jealous of someone else's success where we have longed to succeed but only experience failure?
These thoughts create garbage in our minds, and we can expect those thoughts to eventually make their way out of our mouths and into the ears of others. That is not the way God instructs us to encourage one another.
The best way to combat this is to regularly present yourself for examination to God. You can do this by reading scripture and allowing it to shine a light on areas that need attention. Prayer is another way to examine yourself. Talk to God and ask Him to bring these things to your attention and remove these thoughts from your mind (and then let Him do it!). By examining our hearts regularly with God and allowing Him to take out the garbage, we are in a much better position to notice when someone is going through a difficult situation and then be able to point them to God rather than point out all the bad.
Personal Reflection
What petty negativity needs to be cleansed from your mind? How have these thoughts spilled over into your life? Are others fueled or drained by your speech?
Posted in UR Devotionals
3 Comments
Thank you so much for this message today. I am guilty of this. Looking at all of the negative things around me. And judging others when they do not do what I think they should do. My prayer is for God to cleanse me of this negativity and let me see the good in everything. I often get mad at myself for not being able to see the positives. But like you said we must renew our minds with Gods word and prayer. Thank you for the reminder. Have a blessed day.
I can also relate. I'm praying for you as we allow God into our hearts and to transform our thoughts and words! I hope that you have a great day 😊
I have used this verse to try to tell my kids why swearing is not okay. But your devotional sheds light on the verse it a way that hits home to ME! Thank you, Lord, for the conviction.