Another lesson learned at Wal-mart

Ephesians 4:29-32

 ²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 

This verse resonated in my ear as I walked through Wal-mart today. The Holy Spirit really reminded me how our words, speech, and thoughts should build others up. What prompted this you ask? I happened to be walking through the towel aisle, distracted by the $3.43 sale they were having and overheard a lady blatantly chewing out a sale's guy. Completely embarrassed for this guy but carefully ease dropping, I noticed that her purse was decorated in the popular ichthys (spelling), more commonly known as the Jesus fish. My heart sank for the person on the receiving end and how/what they were hearing from this women. Her words cold, her attitude distasteful, and her demeanor completely opposite of Ephesians 4:29. I hope that we are constantly reminded by the Holy Spirit and the words spoken by Jesus to live, act, and talk in a way that sets us apart from the rest of the world so that we may be consistently building up the kingdom of Christ.

May we all take just a  moment before speaking to remind ourselves of the seal that God has placed upon us, therefore let us remember that although we are in the world we are not to act like the world. Take a moment and filter your words, thoughts, and actions through these verses and remind yourself of just how powerful our impact would be if we consistently build each other up in our daily conversations.