Ephesians 4 Communication

 

Ephesians 4, Communication

Without communication, human beings would be isolated. God gave us language to allow us to talk, express ideas and opinions, provide information, and share feelings. Some people communicate in hurtful was, saying words that cause pain to the hearer. Believers, communicate differently. Paul wrote that Christian’s words should always be truthful and spoken in love. He added that no corrupt words should come out of believers’ mouths; instead, they should speak only “what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

Think about how many times a day we open our mouth to talk. What if every word first had to be passed through a sieve of truthfulness, love, and edification? Would we be left speechless? We would do well to consider what we have to say before we say it. Then we would have time to apply Paul’s test to our words.

Sometimes it is most difficult to be a Christian at home. Believers may work hard at speaking carefully in the world; but at home, they may not try so hard. While home is a place where we can be ourselves, we should still show Christ-like character. We speak to the other person, seeking his or her best interest.

The Bible doesn’t say, “Never get angry.” It says, “be angry and do not sin.” Anger is a God-given emotion. Handled well, anger can cause positive change. Poorly handled anger can cause great harm. When we are angry, we should not indulge in that anger, because that could cause us to speak or act in ways that we would later regret. Nor should we stuff our anger deep inside with people pretending that we never feel angry. That can cause a host of personal and relational problems. Stuffed anger could cause a system overload, whereby years of resentment erupt from only a spark. The healthy way to deal with anger is to deal with it quickly before the sun goes down. We do not nurse the anger giving place to the devil. Satan loves to use angry feelings to divide believers. We should seek to resolve our differences with others quickly. Then we can get on with the Lord’s work.

When we accept Christ as Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit marks God’s people as His own. Although the Holy Spirit enters our lives to help us live for God, He does not turn us into robots. We constantly battle the sin nature, and at times we fail. When we willfully continue in sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit. Having the Holy Spirit with us and in us is a great privilege, but it brings great responsibility. We try to follow His guidance because He has sealed us to be with God forever. Far from being an excuse for sin, that privilege gives us high motivation for living for God.

 

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Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible. Through the Bible by J. Vernon McGee