As Christians, we are called to build each other up rather than tear one another down. Jesus set the perfect example of humility and love by choosing to serve rather than be served. He treated others with kindness, even those who wronged Him. His life teaches us to use our words and actions to encourage, not harm.
In a world filled with criticism, gossip, and harsh words, believers are urged to speak life and bring encouragement. Words have power—they can heal or destroy, strengthen or weaken. The Bible warns against using speech to tear others down and instead calls us to speak with love and wisdom. Choosing kind words reflects God’s grace in our lives.
Scripture makes it clear that God desires His people to be patient, gentle, and full of grace. Verses throughout the Bible remind us to be mindful of how we treat others. Encouragement and uplifting speech are signs of a heart that follows Christ. A true believer does not seek to criticize but to build and restore.
Below are Bible verses that emphasize the importance of uplifting others. These words serve as reminders to avoid a spirit of criticism and condemnation. As followers of Christ, we should always strive to reflect His love through our words and actions. Let us use our voices to bless, not to harm.
Preachers Quotes
“You have never looked in the eyes of someone who does not matter to God.” – Max Lucado
“Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair.” – Yehuda Berg
“God never intended for us to hurt others with our words. If we use our words to tear down rather than build up, we are working against His purposes.” – Charles Stanley
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“Before you speak, ask yourself: Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary? Will it glorify God?” – Billy Graham
“Encouragement is oxygen to the soul.” – John Maxwell
“The greatest thing a man can do for his Heavenly Father is to be kind to some of His other children.” – Henry Drummond
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Bible Verses About Putting Others Down
Proverbs 12:18 – The power of words to heal or hurt.
“There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.” – Proverbs 12:18
Ephesians 4:29 – Speak words that edify.
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” – Ephesians 4:29
James 4:11 – Do not speak evil against others.
“Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law.” – James 4:11
Matthew 7:1-2 – Judge not, lest you be judged.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” – Matthew 7:1-2
Proverbs 16:24 – Gracious words bring healing.
“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” – Proverbs 16:24
Galatians 5:15 – Beware of devouring one another.
“But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” – Galatians 5:15
Colossians 3:8 – Put away slander and malice.
“But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.” – Colossians 3:8
Romans 12:10 – Honor one another.
“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.” – Romans 12:10
1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Encourage and build each other up.
“Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Proverbs 10:18 – A slanderer is a fool.
“Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.” – Proverbs 10:18
Titus 3:2 – Speak evil of no one.
“To speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.” – Titus 3:2
James 1:26 – Control your tongue.
“If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” – James 1:26
Psalm 34:13 – Keep your tongue from evil.
“Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.” – Psalm 34:13
Proverbs 15:1 – A gentle answer defuses anger.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
Luke 6:45 – The words we speak reflect our heart.
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” – Luke 6:45
1 Peter 2:1 – Put away all evil speaking.
“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking.” – 1 Peter 2:1
Proverbs 26:20 – Without gossip, conflict dies.
“Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.” – Proverbs 26:20
Philippians 2:3 – Consider others above yourself.
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” – Philippians 2:3
James 3:6 – The tongue is a fire.
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body.” – James 3:6
Matthew 5:22 – Avoid speaking in anger.
“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” – Matthew 5:22
Proverbs 17:9 – Love covers transgressions.
“He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends.” – Proverbs 17:9
Ecclesiastes 10:12 – Words of wisdom bring grace.
“The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool shall swallow him up.” – Ecclesiastes 10:12
Proverbs 11:9 – The righteous are delivered from words of destruction.
“The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.” – Proverbs 11:9
Psalm 141:3 – Ask God to guard your words.
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” – Psalm 141:3
James 3:10 – Blessing and cursing should not come from the same mouth.
“Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” – James 3:10
Romans 14:13 – Do not be a stumbling block.
“Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.” – Romans 14:13
Proverbs 15:4 – A wholesome tongue is life-giving.
“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” – Proverbs 15:4
Colossians 4:6 – Speak with grace.
“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” – Colossians 4:6
Matthew 12:36 – We will give account for every word.
“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.” – Matthew 12:36
1 Peter 3:10 – Love life by keeping your tongue from evil.
“For ‘He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.’” – 1 Peter 3:10
Proverbs 25:23 – A backbiting tongue brings anger.
“The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.” – Proverbs 25:23
James 3:5 – The tongue is small but powerful.
“Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles!” – James 3:5
Galatians 6:1 – Restore those who have fallen with gentleness.
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” – Galatians 6:1
Proverbs 26:22 – Gossip is dangerous.
“The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body.” – Proverbs 26:22
Luke 6:31 – Treat others how you want to be treated.
“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” – Luke 6:31
Hebrews 10:24 – Stir up love and good works.
“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” – Hebrews 10:24
2 Timothy 2:16 – Avoid idle and profane babble.
“But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.” – 2 Timothy 2:16
Leviticus 19:16 – Do not go about spreading slander.
“You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.” – Leviticus 19:16
Psalm 101:5 – God will cut off the slanderer.
“Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; the one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.” – Psalm 101:5
Isaiah 50:4 – The Lord gives words to sustain the weary.
“The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.” – Isaiah 50:4
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What Does The Bible Say About Putting Others Down
The Bible teaches us to treat others with kindness, respect, and love. It warns against putting others down through our words or actions. Instead of tearing people down, we are called to build them up and encourage them.
One of the most direct warnings against putting others down comes from Ephesians 4:29, which says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” This verse reminds us that our words should help and strengthen others, not harm them. When we speak negatively about others, we are not following God’s will.
Jesus also warned about the dangers of harsh words and judgment. In Matthew 7:1-2, He said, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged.” This teaches us that when we put others down, we open ourselves to the same kind of judgment. Instead of criticizing, we should show grace and understanding.
The Bible often compares words to powerful forces. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Our words can bring life by encouraging and uplifting others, or they can bring death by discouraging and hurting them. This is why James warns about the dangers of the tongue in James 3:6, saying it can be like a fire that spreads destruction.
Gossip and slander are also serious sins in the Bible. Proverbs 16:28 says, “A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends.” Talking badly about others, even in secret, can cause deep harm. Instead, Proverbs 11:9 tells us that “The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.”
God calls us to love one another and treat others with kindness. Colossians 3:12 says, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering.” This means that instead of putting people down, we should be patient, gentle, and humble.
In the end, the Bible is clear: our words and actions should reflect God’s love. If we are tempted to put someone down, we should stop and choose to encourage instead. By doing this, we honor God and show His love to the world.