Communicate Only What is Helpful
“Don’t let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.” Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)
This is a tall order, but one worth pursuing. Fighting for your marriage includes thinking through how and what we communicate to our spouse. For starters, we need to make a complete commitment to pursuing unity and kindness in our conversation. This means that a demeaning tone of voice, harsh words, untruths, cursing, name-calling, manipulation, intimidation, unforgiveness and physical threats, among other things, need to be abandoned. The conversation must be oriented to the goal of oneness and reconciliation.
Pray: “God, teach me to govern my thoughts and especially my words in my relationship. Teach me to pause before speaking, to listen carefully to your Holy Spirit, and carefully consider what is about to come out of my mouth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
