What's in a Word?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you'd like to say something, but you just can't get a word in? Maybe everyone else is talking so much and there's just no space for your voice, or you feel strongly about what's being said and you're afraid you'll come off as angry if you open your mouth?

We live in a really interesting time for communication. With so many ways to have a conversation, it seems like communication options are limitless. Yet, at the same time, there are so many rules and boundaries, both spoken and hidden, about who gets to say what and how things can be said. As a child, talking was easy. There were certain words that were good and certain words that were bad. If I used good words, that was fine, but if I used bad words, I was in trouble. As an adult, it feels much more complicated than that!

Our text for this week, Ephesians 4:25-5:2, is all about being "imitators of God." This includes how we use our words and the other ways we communicate. What I find most interesting in this text is what it says about anger, an emotion that most of us are encouraged to control or limit when we speak.

Is it ok to express anger? Do all of our voices matter to God? What does it mean to build up the Kingdom of God with our words?