"Be Gentle!"
- Rita Larson
- Jun 28, 2023
- 3 min read
A very dear friend of mine does jail ministry and one of the pods drew her this beautiful picture, making her a card. She has had the opportunity to minister to many of the people that are in this particular jail, speaking life into them and winning souls over to the Kingdom of God. What the inmates do not realize, is how much life they are speaking over my friend when they share their testimonies or the word of God, such as in this picture. There is so much power in our words and actions!
Do you ever stop and think about the power of your words? Proverbs 15:4 reminds us that “a soothing tongue is a tree of life.” Our words can bring life and healing, or they can bring destruction and death. How we choose to use our words is incredibly important, especially when it comes to speaking to people in a Godly manner.
In James 3:10, we read “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” God has given us the power of our words and He desires that we use them for good, to bring life and healing to those around us. Proverbs 16:24 says, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” When we speak kindly and gently, God is glorified and we are blessed.
The Bible also reminds us of the importance of self-control when it comes to our words. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” We have the ability to use our words to turn away anger and hurt, but to do so we must have self-control and discipline. We must also be mindful of the power of our words and the potential that they have to hurt or help. Ask yourself, "Am I hurting or helping this situation by what I am about to say?" Once it is said, our words cannot be undone.
An analogy that I like to use to illustrate this point is to think of our words as arrows. We can choose to shoot arrows of love and kindness that bring healing and restoration or we can choose to shoot arrows of hurt and destruction that bring pain and suffering. It is our choice which arrows we shoot, and we must take responsibility for the words that we choose to speak.
I challenge you today to think about your words and the power they have. When you are tempted to speak harshly or to gossip, remember the power of a soothing tongue is a tree of life. Let us strive to use our words to glorify God and to bring life and healing to those around us. Let us prayerfully choose to speak words that are full of grace and truth.
Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the power of our words. Help us to use our words to glorify You and to bring life and healing to those around us. Bring to our remembrance in every interaction with those around us to speak life and words of kindness and love. Help us to be mindful of the power of our words and the potential they have to hurt or help. Let the words that we speak bring glory to You! In Jesus’ name, Amen. ©Rita Larson 6/28/2023
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