Gold Nugget
Verse 18: "There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health. "
Commentary
I've heard it said that some people make a room
brighter when they walk into it, while some brighten a room as they walk out of
it. Today's "gold nugget" tells of the person that does great harm
when he speaks. On the other hand, there are
also wise people who bring health with the words they say. Elsewhere
in Proverbs we read that "Death and life are in the power of the
tongue.” We can either bring death or life with the things we say. Maybe
not physical death, but spiritual death and destruction, or spiritual life and
encouragement. Don't underestimate the power of the tongue. Consider James
5:4-5, "4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven
by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot
desires. 5Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See
how great a forest a little fire kindles!" We have an affect on others
by even the smallest things we say. "
There are suggested guidelines that could be
implemented right away to ensure that your words are not destructive to others.
Make a healthy "compliments to criticism ratio" part of your personal
policy. Some suggest a 3:1 ratio, while others suggest a 5:1. In other words,
to use the 5:1 ratio, you would ensure you made 5 compliments to even 1
criticism. It may seem like a lot, but if you are not close enough to a person
to find 5 complimentary things to say about them, you are probably not close
enough to criticize them. We are called to be builders, not destroyers. Maybe
today is the day that God will make the changes in you and me that will ensure
our ability to be builders.
Prayer
Lord, I know that I don't always ensure my tongue is uttering the right things. Help me to remember that you have trained me to be an encourager and not a discourager. Amen
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