Ephesians 4:28–29 (ESV) —
28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
NOTE: In our battle against sin, sometimes we need to locate the counter-weight, the opposite of the behavior to overcome the behavior. For the thief, it is laboring honestly with his hands, and then giving to others as opposed to taking from others. For the foul-mouth individual whose words only tear others down, we are to build others up, giving grace to those who hear it. Whatever the sin, there is probably an alternative action that builds good and not evil. It is just a matter of finding it. For a person who struggles with pride and is always boasting, it is to not talk of self but to congratulate others for their achievements. Rather than talking about accomplishments, it is better to ask questions and draw others out. Success is found in not mentioning self but mentioning others. It is not enough to just stop doing something, it has to be replaced.
PONDER:
- What is my sin struggle?
- What is the effect and what behavior will result in the opposite effect?
PRAYER: Father, continue to give me insight into my failures and what I need to start building the opposite effect into my life.
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