Ephesians 4:29 — Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
So, I am crouched down on the driveway, tossing jackets and bags like I am searching for buried treasure. My keys are gone.
I had driven five hours to see my best friend, imagining quiet mornings with coffee and conversation, but now panic pins me to the pavement. I picture my cat pacing back and forth at home. I picture missing work and the long explanations that follow. Every possible disaster blooms in my mind.
The roadside helper arrives. His coat is dusted with white. A soft glow from the lights reflects in the windshield behind him. He does not sigh or flinch. He asks calm, simple questions like “Where did you last have them?”
He listens while I spill the story of my scattered morning. He does not rush me. He does not make me feel foolish. Almost like a cup of cocoa, his warm presence feels comforting. And for the first time in an hour, I can breathe.
Of course, the keys were exactly where I had left them, under the windshield wipers on my friend’s car. Relief rushes through me. I laugh at myself. But more than relief, I feel so thankful for how that jolly, gentle, AAA man treated me. It felt like a gift.
Looking back on that whole thing, I feel reminded that words matter. Tone matters. How we show up for people in stressful situations matters.
Ephesians 4:29 teaches us, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Now, in this season of twinkling lights and cinnamon-scented candles, I think about how easy it is for holiday stress to make us spiral. Maybe the best gift we can give today that matters most is not wrapped in a box.
Maybe it comes from a calm Christ-like voice, your steady presence, and your hands reaching out with confident kindness to people who need reassurance.
Who in your life might need that gift this year?
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- When stress rises, how do your words tend to sound? What would it look like to pause and let your voice become a source of calm instead of pressure?
- Who in your life might need gentle, encouraging words today — someone overwhelmed, anxious, or carrying more than they admit?
- Think of a time someone spoke kindness to you when you felt stressed or scattered. How did it change the moment? How could you offer that same gift this week?
- What simple shift could help your conversations reflect more of Jesus — your tone, your patience, or your willingness to listen?
- How might God be inviting you to use your voice as a way to bring peace, comfort, and hope into someone’s holiday season?