February 23 Thought for the day...stinky fruit

In Malaysia and Zanzibar, there is a fruit called Durian. This fruit smells so bad just growing on the trees, nations have outlawed any part of it coming into their country. I have a friend that loves it but to me, it smells like a dead rotting animal and tastes like tuna fish that has gone bad. It is called "stinky fruit". Paul talks about something in our walk that can be just as putrid.

Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."

Paul's use of the word corrupt here means rotting, putrid, spoiled, decayed. It would be the idea of rotting animal flesh. Combined with the word "logos" which is greek for "word, communication", paints the picture of someone using corrupt communication that is putrid or disgusting to the recipient.

Paul is talking about gossip, racial and off-color jokes, slander, lying, foul and offensive language and other such forms of "communication". He is saying any such language being listened to and especially coming out of your mouth should be absolutely disgusting, rotten, stinky, to you!

Instead, everything that we say should be "edifying". This word means to build up and improve the state of the person involved. Basically rather than leaving a disgusting taste in your mouth, everything you say should leave a sweet taste in your mouth.

In this age of endless lies, slander, and vitriol it is hard to be different, to act Christ-like, but there is so much more at stake. The world is watching us, to see if there is truly any difference in a Christ-follower than a sinner, our hopeful, positive outlook, and language, should bring life to all around us as opposed to the death smell of the stinky fruit.