Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

— Ephesians 4:29 (KJV)

When someone asks me to look at something they made, my eye goes straight to whatever I’d fix. Picture a friend showing me a new homepage. If all I say is that the menu is hard to find, they might leave the conversation thinking the whole page was a mistake.

I can still tell them where I got lost. I can also tell them which part made me want to read more. Both are useful details. “I liked the way you introduced the page, and I had trouble finding the About link” gives them something they can work with.

The last few words of this verse make me think about what the other person carries away. I want to be honest enough to help and careful enough that they still feel good about showing me what they make next.