I was having a hard time deciding the topic for today’s Moment for Mom, so I pulled out my “Handy Dandy Verse-of-the-Day” book. I quickly regretted that decision when I found that today’s verse comes from 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.”
I don’t like that verse at all. It kinda makes me squirm
Why? Because it reminds me that unwholesome talk comes out of my mouth ALL THE TIME!
So, I decided to try to find a kinder, gentler version of that verse. Something that might let me off the hook a little bit. Here’s the paraphrase from The Message, “Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.”
Well, that’s not any better, now is it?
Seriously, every single word from my mouth is supposed to be a gift, helpful for building people up? Oh Lord, I am so very far from being the person you have created me to be!
This, my friends, is called conviction! Once we accept His gift of forgiveness and invite the Holy Spirit inside our hearts, the Lord slowly and patiently starts pruning and weeding away our old, sinful nature and planting seeds of righteousness. This does not happen all at once! It is a life-long process. The Lord knows when our hearts are ripe for change and convicts us about the things we are ready to change when He knows we are ready to change them. Conviction is not a guilt-trip. If it feels that way, it’s not likely coming from the Lord. It’s more like a gentle whisper of correction delivered directly into your heart from the Holy Spirit.
So, for me it’s my words. What do you sense the Holy Spirit is convicting you about? Once you receive conviction, the next step is prayer. Thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit and for His guidance in your daily life. Ask Him if the conviction you are receiving is truly coming from Him and not from outside sources. Finally, pray that the Lord will continue to guide and direct you down the paths that lead to righteousness.
