“…to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” - Titus 3:2-7, NKJV
As believers, our speech should be as one who has been forgiven. We have received the gift of mercy from on high, which has triumphed over our dooming judgment. When we do not show mercy to others and condemn them for their sin, we will not receive mercy.
We often give mercy to the measure that we understand we’ve received mercy. If we come up short at showing mercy, the way to increase our merciful responses towards others is to meditate on the mercy we have received from the Lord. We were once enemies of God, and by grace through faith, we have been justified, forgiven, and redeemed. This should cause us to walk in humility and kindness with even the most difficult people in our lives.
One way that we can walk in mercy with one another is to guard our mouths from speaking evil against one another, especially if someone has wronged us or hurt us. We should never resort to gossip or share information about another person with anyone.
How do you know if what you are saying is judgmental?
Ask yourself: Would I say it to the person’s face? Would this hurt their feelings at all if they overheard me?
Titus 3:2-7 instructs us:
“…to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:2-7, NKJV).
If guarding your mouth is difficult for you when you are upset, and you tend to get offended easily, we must remember that we can ask God for grace to keep our flesh from ruling us. The Holy Spirit will convict us of our sin, but also strengthen us to be able to walk in obedience by showing humility and mercy to all. One of the fruits of the Spirit that we have been given is self-control, and if you are born again, you have been endowed with that ability by the power of the Spirit. We are either yielding to the Spirit, or we are yielded to the flesh. We will be given as many opportunities as possible, along with tests, to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit on our faith journey. As disciples of Christ, we should see genuine growth each day we choose to walk in the Spirit and deny the flesh.
We do not deserve God’s mercy, but He has been so extravagant with His love for His children. Let us ask the Lord to help us remember the gift of His forgiveness daily, so that we can extend the same love to others. When we are tempted to lose our temper or gossip, may the Lord set a guard over our mouths. He can empower us to develop the fruit of self-control by the power of His Spirit so that we can continue to walk peaceably, with all gentleness and humility as His word commands. May we reflect upon the mercy that we have received and ask the Lord to help us speak words filled with mercy so that others may know of His great love.
What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.
Photo credit: Getty Images/millann
Related Resource: How Faith Finds Us When Life Takes a Detour
Joining us this week is worship leader turned viral comedian Heather Land. After growing up in the shadow of her mother’s decades-long addiction, Heather reflects on how this painful season—alongside her unexpected shift from the worship stage to the world of comedy—taught her that while our paths may take unforeseen turns, our core calling to encourage and uplift others remains constant.
Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Rachel Kessler, an Episcopal priest and Kenyon College chaplain who completed her PhD in medieval studies at the University of Toronto before pivoting to seminary after hitting academic burnout, then built a following as the “Nerdy Priest” on TikTok after a student secretly downloaded the app on her phone.
If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Thursday, 23 July 2026.
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