Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up. (Ephesians 4: 29)

The house next door had stood there as long as I could remember. It must have cost a bundle to build that grand old house, standing proud and tall against the sky. Now it was to be demolished.

In hours, the roof was stripped of its clay tiles; in days, doors and windows were removed. Before the month ended, only a skeleton of the house remained.

How long it must have taken to build that house. In comparison, how quickly it was demolished. How much less it cost in terms of money and materials, time and effort to tear it down than it did to build it.

So, too, it can be with relationships. It takes time to trust, to be able to risk sharing our deepest selves with another. Only with time and effort are we able to strip off our masks and be real with one another.

Harsh words, a little lie, one small betrayal of a confidence, one little bit of gossip–these can begin to destroy a relationship built over many years. But the words from Ephesians give us a guide to keep all our relationships strong.

Holy Creator, keep reminding us to speak only words that build up and not words that destroy!