Impart Grace

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29 (NKJV)

The other day I was walking into a grocery store. I looked up accidentally made eye contact with a complete stranger. It’s one of those awkward moments when you’re thinking, “Why is she looking at me?” Then, as I walked past, I heard the voice of the young woman say, “I like your hair.” What started out as an awkward moment became memorable. A small compliment from a stranger can be encouraging.

Kind words. Nothing is more appreciated. With so many hurtful words being spoken in today’s world, it’s refreshing to hear words that bring encouragement. Ephesians says they impart grace to the hearer. We could all use a little more grace.

This verse in Ephesians is sandwiched in the middle of other instructions Paul is giving the church on how to live as children of light. Right there between “stop telling lies,” “don’t sin by letting anger control you,” and “get rid of bitterness,” we read “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth.”

How important are the words you and I speak to others? I’d say pretty important. Not only do we need to be careful not the say hurtful or unpleasant things, but what if you took a step further? What if you complimented a complete stranger? Or took the time to remind someone close how important they are to you? What if we celebrated the things our kids are doing right instead of only correcting what they do wrong?

I encourage you to take some time today to impart grace to someone by saying something good, kind, or helpful. If we all took more time to do that, not only would directly obey scripture, we might just make the world a better place.