Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

  - Ephesians 4.29

My speech – may it praise You without flaw: May my heart love You, King of heaven and earth.
My speech – may it praise You without flaw: Make it easy for me, pure Lord, to do You all service and to adore You.

   - Anonymous, "My Speech," Irish, 12th century

Today, as most days, our tongues will be the busiest and most visible members of our bodies.

We will distribute words here and there, to this person and that, much of the time without a great deal of thought or concern. “Hey, how you doin’?” “What’s up?” “Fine, just fine; you?” “How was your day?”

When we consider what a great gift it is to be able to communicate with words, in sentences adorned by emphasis, pace, and volume, it seems a shame that we should ever utter even a single word without selecting it carefully, like a master bowman would an arrow, and aiming it at a consciously-chosen target.

The words that pass from us to others are fraught with potential, either for good or ill. If we wish them to be the former, then we must nurture love for Christ and our neighbors in our hearts and make it our business to serve and adore the Lord with all our speech. We serve the purposes of Christ in conversation when we devote our words as vessels of ministry to build others up in grace.

“My speech – may it praise You without flaw.” This humble prayer, remembered at various times throughout the day, can remind us of the goal of all our conversation, which is to minister grace to others through speech that edifies. They who experience edification and uplift from our words will linger and pay attention when we speak, and this can make all our speech, no matter the subject or duration, part of an ongoing conversation about the grace of God and the Good News of His Kingdom.

Devote your words to the Lord and offer them up each day as sweet music to His ears, and your neighbors’.

Psalm 141.3, 4 (Truro: “Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns!”)
Lord, set a guard upon my mouth;
Let not my heart to evil bend,
Nor let me work iniquity
In company with wicked men.