The best way to fight worthless talk

Mothers often say, “Words can never hurt you.” However, that’s rarely the case. As Paul teaches Timothy, words can be powerful. 

In a letter to Timothy, Paul stresses avoiding “godless chatter” and teaching that spreads like “gangrene.” Those are harsh words, but Paul knew the more we indulge in worthless talk, the more we’ll end up shipwrecking our faith. 

Instead, Paul urges Timothy to warn those who quarrel about words and tells him to present himself as one who “correctly handles the word of truth.”

Paul’s message to Timothy is simple: Know the Bible well and use Scripture to defeat the kind of corrupting talk that runs rampant in the church.

That message is still true for us today. God wants us to know His Word, so we’ll know what’s right. 

We don’t have to get caught up in fruitless arguments. When we have a firm grasp on God’s Word, we’re able to stand firm, without being ashamed. We can answer respond to worthless talk — from inside and outside of our groups — with truth. 

We deepen our understanding of the truth by making Bible reading, study, and teaching a regular part of our lives. The basics of our faith aren’t difficult to understand, but it is easy to get swept away by bad teaching when we haven’t built a firm foundation.  

Reflect:

• How often do you find yourself in conversations that digress into godless chatter? What’s one step you can take this week to remove yourself from those situations?
• Are you studying your Bible so you can “correctly handle the word of truth”? What’s one step you can take to build a firmer foundation on God’s Word?