Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up. —Ephesians 4:29 ESV
P erhaps the best way to curb our bent for picking at others’ faults is to go out of our way to say good things about them, simply by making the effort to voice what we notice. You might be surprised how many opportunities present themselves to pay a compliment or express gratitude.
As the wife of a busy pastor and mother of eleven, Sarah Edwards (1710–1758) certainly faced temptation and opportunities to speak ill of others. But she was known for the opposite:
Sarah made it her rule to speak well of all so far as she could. . . . She was not [prone] to dwell with delight on the imperfections and failings of any; and when she heard persons speaking ill of others, she would say what she thought she could with truth and justice in their excuse. 1
What a commitment—to speak well of all. And what a calling—to reflect the kind, gracious heart of Christ to those around us.
1 Jonathan Edwards, Memoirs of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 1 in The Works of Jonathan Edwards (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1976), xlvi.
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Adorned: Living Out the Beauty of the Gospel Together ©2017 Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
Scripture taken from The ESV
Make it Personal
What are ways that you can be creative in speaking well of others today and building them up?