ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

OPENING TEXT — EPHESIANS 4:29 KJV

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying…”

Paul is telling us:

Watch your conversation.

Everything you think doesn't need to be said.

Everything you hear doesn't need to be repeated.

Everything you know about somebody doesn't need to become a conversation.

Everything that is true doesn't necessarily need you to tell it.

Paul says our words should edify.

That means:

BUILD PEOPLE.

Your words should add something.

Your words should strengthen something.

Your words should leave people better.

ASK YOURSELF:

Does this conversation add value?

Does it build anybody?

Does it solve anything?

Does it make the situation better?

Because if we're going to elevate our lives, eventually we have to:

ELEVATE OUR CONVERSATIONS.

# 1. STOP MAKING PEOPLE YOUR ENTERTAINMENT

One of the easiest conversations to have is a conversation about somebody else.

Who did what?

Who said what?

Who's dating whom?

Who messed up?

Who left?

Who doesn't like whom?

You can spend an entire evening talking about somebody else's life and never spend five minutes developing your own.

Love people but don't live discussing people.

1 PETER 1:22 KJV

> “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren…”

Peter says:

Purify your soul.

And one of the results is sincere love for people.

The more God works on me, the less enjoyment I should receive from tearing somebody else down.

2. STOP CARRYING EVERYBODY

There was a grandmother who was a professional worrier.

If worrying was something you could go to school for, Grandma would have had every degree they offered!

She had a bachelor's degree in worrying.

A master's degree in worrying.

And eventually she earned her:

Ph.D. IN WORRYOLOGY!

She worried about her children.

She worried about her grandchildren.

She worried about their marriages.

She worried about their money.

She worried about their jobs.

She worried when they left home.

She worried when they came home late.

She worried when the phone rang.

And when the phone didn't ring, she worried about why nobody called!

Somebody finally asked:

“Grandma, why do you worry about everybody?”

She said:

“Because I love them.”

But here's the revelation:

WORRY IS NOT THE SAME AS LOVE.

You can love somebody without carrying them.

You can love your grown children without controlling their decisions.

You can love your family without losing sleep over every problem they experience.

At some point you've got to say:

“God, I love them but I trust You with them.”

PHILIPPIANS 4:6–7 KJV

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Some things you're worrying about, God told you to pray about.

Pray for them.

Love them.

Help them when you can.

Then put them back in God's hands.

3. ELEVATE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT

PHILIPPIANS 4:8 KJV

“Whatsoever things are true… honest… just… pure… lovely… of good report… think on these things.”

You cannot elevate your conversation without elevating your thinking.

Because eventually:

WHAT FILLS YOUR MIND WILL FIND YOUR MOUTH.

If your mind stays filled with offenses, you'll talk about offenses.

If your mind stays filled with people, you'll talk about people.

If your mind stays filled with problems, you'll talk about problems.

But when your mind becomes filled with:

Vision.
Purpose.
Ideas.
Solutions.
Principles.
Possibilities.

Your conversation begins to change.

4. CHANGE THE LEVEL OF YOUR CONVERSATION

There are different levels of conversation.

A survival mindset can become consumed with people:

Who said what?
Who did what?
Who likes me?
Who doesn't?

A success mindset begins talking about things:

What can I accomplish?
What can I acquire?
What can I build?

But a wealth-building mindset starts discussing:

Ideas.
Concepts.
Principles.
Systems.
Solutions.
Opportunities.
Value.

Instead of asking:

“Did you hear what happened?”

Start asking:

“What can we build?”

Instead of:

“Did you hear what they did?”

Ask:

“What problem can we solve?”

Instead of spending an hour discussing somebody else's life:

Spend an hour developing yours.

5. BECOME A PERSON WHO ADDS VALUE

This is where the conversation really elevates.

Don't enter every room asking:

“What can I get?”

Start asking:

“What can I bring?”

Bring an idea.

Bring encouragement.

Bring wisdom.

Bring a connection.

Bring a solution.

Bring an opportunity.

Bring kindness.

Bring faith.

Bring something that makes the room better because you entered it.

### PROVERBS 18:16 KJV

“A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.”

Stop spending all your time studying other people's lives.

DEVELOP YOUR GIFT.

There is something inside you that can add value to somebody else.

FIVE PRINCIPLES FOR ELEVATING YOUR CONVERSATION

1. IF IT DOESN'T BUILD, DON'T SAY IT.

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth…”

2. TALK ABOUT IDEAS MORE THAN PEOPLE.

People don't need to dominate every conversation.

3. BRING VALUE INTO THE ROOM.

Don't only identify problems.

Bring solutions.

4. DON'T ALLOW NEGATIVITY TO CONTROL THE ATMOSPHERE.

When everybody is discussing the problem, ask:

“What's the solution?”

Sometimes leadership is simply having enough courage to change the conversation in the room.

5. USE YOUR WORDS TO BUILD SOMEBODY.

Encourage somebody.

Teach somebody.

Connect somebody.

Pray for somebody.

Give somebody an opportunity.

Leave people better than you found them.

CLOSING — ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Maybe this week the challenge isn't to pray longer.

Maybe it's to talk differently.

Stop talking about everybody.

Stop carrying everybody.

Stop replaying offenses.

Stop feeding negative conversations.

Purify your soul.

Guard your heart.

Renew your mind.

Love people sincerely.

And when you open your mouth:

BUILD.

Talk about vision.

Talk about ideas.

Talk about solutions.

Talk about possibilities.

Talk about what God is doing.

Talk about what you're building.

Talk about how you can help somebody.

Because when your thinking elevates,

your conversation elevates.

When your conversation elevates,

your relationships elevate.

When your relationships elevate,

your environment begins to elevate.

And when your environment elevates,

you put yourself in position to experience another level of life.

ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION.

Love people.
Build people.
Add value.
And keep growing.