Edifying Each Other

Ok - so Chad spoke a few weeks ago at the end of his "Grace" series about using our gifts to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10). But if you read the next verse it says, "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with all the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." And the letter is not quite done. Peter immediately goes into talking about suffering for Christ.

But what stuck out most to me is the "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the VERY WORDS OF GOD." Well, that hit me like a ton of bricks. I used to have a serious potty-mouth. I still revert every now and then, and sometimes depending on who I'm around I'll throw out some cuss words for emphasis -- but why? And now I'll be thinking, is this something that God Himself would say? From what I've read and understood in the Bible, God doesn't mince words. He has had to repeat Himself a few times to get the point across, but He certainly doesn't throw in extra words. And shouldn't we be repeating the teachings of Jesus - the parables, the conversations he had with his desciples, the prayers with his Father. It would do us all good to speak the very words of God. In this way we can lift each other up in times of trials, strengthen each other in moments of temptation, encourage one another in moments of hopelessness, and love one another as Jesus loved us while praying for us in preparation for the cross.