For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. —Romans 15:4

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Words-Hurt or Heal


Proverbs 16:23-24
The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent,

    and their lips promote instruction.
Gracious words are a honeycomb,
    sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Too many times, as I wandered the aisles of a grocery store, I overheard a parent reprimanding a child with belittling, thoughtless, hurtful words. My heart broke for that child. Yes, a parent needs to discipline, but wise instruction that redirects the little one teaches them without tearing them down. How I speak affects the people who hear me. I even need to choose the words I write with wisdom.

Words have the power to hurt. But, they also have the ability to heal. How I say something is as important as what I say. The proverb tells me that words come from the heart. If my heart’s troubled, I need to step back and spend time with God as I sort through what troubles me and makes my words caustic. Even a pause, prayer and deep breath help.

My friend Debbie shared words of wisdom from Godvine:

THINK
T ~ is it true?
H ~ is it helpful?
I ~ is it inspiring?
N ~ is it Necessary?
K ~ is it kind?

Before I open my mouth, I want to remember to check myself. Am I speaking with encouragement and concern, the way God wants me to?

8 comments:

  1. Penny,
    I love this proverb, it's on my home page for my website! And so true how our words affect others whether speaking or writing.

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    1. Thank you, Cynthia. This is something I need to remind myself of everyday.

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  2. Thanks so much for this great acronym, Penny. I will make it a part of my daily life. You are right about words. They are containers of either life or death. One of my favorite Scripture verses is Proverbs 18:21: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." May our tongues always speak life!


    Blessings,

    MaryAnn
    ___________________________
    A CHRISTMAS HOMECOMING
    A Powerful Story of Forgiveness
    Harbourlight Books-2012
    www.maryanndiorio.com

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    Replies
    1. That's a great verse, too and reminder of how our words can hurt. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. I am a grumble crunch New Yorker from the wilds of the Big Apple. I have been guilty of being harsh with my children.

    Now to clarify. We adopted three hard to place children from foster care at ages 6,7, 9. One of them with a lable of Oppositional Defiance Disorder. All three with PTSD. So, we were often bombarded by antisocial behavior.

    Thank God for repentance...for me that is. For me to repent. PTL

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    Replies
    1. Yes, thank God for repentance. And thank goodness for people like you who choose to love children who need you. I worked with children who had similar labels and it was not easy. Bless your heart for bringing those three children into your home.

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  4. Oh, Penny, I love this. So often it's easy to criticize children or others for actions we are guilty of, but I've found the closer I get to God, the easier it is for me to be more gentle and understanding. Thanks for the great reminder!

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