07Nov16

Ephesians 4:29
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." One of the few lines I can remember from Hamlet (or was it Romeo and Juliet?). Such a simple turn of phrase is why Shakespeare was one of the greatest playwrights to ever live. But, something isn't just rotten in the state of Denmark. There's something rotten coming out of us! In the above verse we like to translate the author's Greek word into "unwholesome." That seems so upper-class to me. It sort of dresses up the real meaning a bit. I just picture an old woman in a fancy dress sipping on tea going, "Now Reginald, thy utterance has a hint of the unwholesome." But, what it really means is "rotten." Gross. Smelly. Moldy. Squishy. Moist. Death.

This is what Paul is warning us about. He is laying out clearly that death comes from our mouth and splatters on other people like a rotten tomato on a bad actor playing Hamlett (see what I did there?). Out of the heart the mouth speaks and when people's souls are hurting, and not healed by grace, they will spew rottenness from their mouths onto everyone around them. God expects better from those that He has called to be His representatives. God healed your soul so you could speak life into others. So, what comes from your mouth? Are you rotten or healed?