Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: Ephesians 4:29-5:2

Living a life of Christlike love is like a fragrant offering of worship to God. If we truly desire to be pleasing to God, to bless Him and to bring joy to His heart, this is the way to do it.

Our understanding of worship is very limited if we think of it only as gathering with other believers, singing hymns and songs, praying and paying attention to Scripture. Of course God delights in these expressions of worship, but the consistent witness of the Holy Spirit through Scripture is that He is far more delighted with the worship we offer by living our everyday lives in surrender to His will and His ways.

According to today’s reading, one such beautiful act of worship is when we use the words we speak to build others up in love according to their needs. God created the Universe by His words and, as His children, we also have tremendous power to impart life to others through our words. Conversely, tarnished and bent out of shape by sin, our words have the power to inflict great pain and destruction on others.

Which will it be for us today? Beautiful, encouraging, life-giving words of faith, hope, love, kindness and forgiveness? Or, words born in bitterness, anger and malice? slanderous and aggressive words? The latter “grieve the Holy Spirit”, while the former delight God’s Father-heart.

Holy Spirit, let Your kindness flow from my lips today in worshipful words of gracious loving-kindness. Amen.