Speak Life

Proverbs 18:21 – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

Do you realize how powerful your words are? I know each of us has experienced the pain of someone’s harsh words. Hopefully, we have also experienced the opposite: someone’s kind, encouraging, and healing words that came just when we needed them most. I don’t know exactly why, but we as women have often been known for tearing each other down. Perhaps it is a sense of competition. Whatever the reason, we need to speak life into people’s lives and not death. I am thankful that we have a sweet congregation of women, but we do still have human moments of hurtfulness. And even if we are generally pleasant, we can always be more intentional about being specifically encouraging and bringing life to people.

Proverbs 16:24 – “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Personally, I could not accept a compliment for years because I truly did not believe the nice things that people would say about me. I had had plenty of people tear me down to the point I began to believe what they said. I remember reading in a psychology class that it takes seven positive comments to combat one negative one. My experience certainly affirmed that for me, as well as for many other women I know. So, let’s look at ways we can bring life to people.

On a daily basis, I urge you to look for ways to compliment or uplift everyone you meet: her scarf, her hair, and other outward things are a good place to start, especially with people you don’t know well. But try to go deeper too. Encourage people in the way they are growing in the Lord, the way they are serving you or others, their kind spirit, etc.

Some people are much easier to affirm and give compliments to. Definitely do this with the people you love most, but ask the Lord to make you sensitive to people who seem a little more prickly and may need to hear positive words even more. Look for people who may be underappreciated or even overly criticized: the waitress that keeps neglecting to refill your drink, a check out person at Walmart, etc.

I have been convicted by people I know who go out of their way to compliment someone doing a normal good job or excellent job at serving them, even calling their manager over to praise them. So often, managers only hear complaints, as do the people who work for them. Taking that extra minute or two to praise someone for excellent service makes their day and their manager’s. Sometimes this may even open the door for an opportunity to witness to someone, or at least give them a positive experience with a Christian.

Proverbs 12:18 – “There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Think about this proverb for a moment. You have the power to wound someone deeply or bring healing to someone. Many people are walking around with invisible wounds, resulting from people being critical, just plain mean, or even the deepest abuse. Every positive, affirming word you speak could impact another person more than you can possibly imagine. So, let’s speak life! I pray that you experience someone speaking life into you this week, as well as your speaking life to others.

--Judith Graham