Lighting the candle column: World that minister grace to our hearers!

“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless” (James 1:26).

This is the case because of what the tongue is able to do. In spite of being a small part of the body, the tongue can make great boasts, corrupt the whole person and in the process setting the whole course of life on fire (James 3:5-6). From both scriptural passages, we clearly observe that God is concerned with how we use our tongue.

God commands us to utter words that minister grace to our hearers. “Let your conversation [speech] be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6).

Apostle Paul tells young Timothy to set himself as an example for believers not only in life, in love, in faith and in purity but also in speech (1 Timothy 4: 12). God is always pleased with friendly or kind words because they are ‘like honey-sweet to the taste and good for your [our] health’ (Proverbs 15:26; 16:23-24). Such words have the ability to yield joy, comfort, hope and encouragement to its hearers. Through the use of such words, God’s grace is made manifest to our hearers and God is glorified through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Words that minister grace to our hearers are always shaped by the word of God.  So, if we are to utter such words we ought therefore to have an overflow of the word of God in our lives. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:16-17). 2 Timothy 3: 16 adds: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God [servant or child of God] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”.

With the Word of God fully in operation, we consequently have the ability to utter words which are helpful for building others according to their needs, and also bring them to repentance [if they have gone astray]. “Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you” (Ephesians 4:29). 2 Timothy 2: 25-26 encourages believers to gently instruct [No use of harsh words 1 Timothy 5:1] those who opposes or offends them in kindness and love in the hope that God will grant them repentance, leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

In essence, when we use the right words to address others, we are actually displaying the wisdom of God that’s in us. It should therefore be our daily prayer that every word that proceeds out of our lips should render healing to a broken heart, courage to the discouraged, and comfort to the afflicted. Let our words always reflect the presence of the Holy Spirit that lives in us.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Isaiah 61: 1-3).

It’s time to light the Candle by uttering words that minister grace to our hearers.

“Light shines in darkness, and darkness did not overcome it” – John 1: 5

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