the power of your words…

if you’re going to have less stress, you going to have to check your schedules. and also you are going to have to check your words.

proverbs 16.24 (nlt) tells us the power that words have to bring health to your lives. kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and health to the body. physical health. whether i'm speaking these kind words or hearing these kind words, they have an impact on my life.

the opposite is also true. all of us have experienced the stress that comes into our lives because of words. for example: it’s a quiet evening at home – no stress, real calm – and all of a sudden someone says something that has a little bit of an edge to it and somebody else responds with a little more of an edge. it gets worse and worse. you’re on the down escalator of communication. when you’re on that, what was a quiet peaceful evening all of a sudden becomes this huge anxiety in your life. words can create incredible stress.

one of the most famous proverbs of all, proverbs 15.1 (niv) tells us why this happens, a gentle answer turns away wrath. but a harsh word stirs up anger. that’s why it happens.

what do we usually do when somebody’s harsh with us? the first response is for me to grab the spoon and stir it a little bit more. then somebody else grabs it and stirs it a little bit more. pretty soon we’re both stirring as fast as we can. it’s a terrible experience.

yet, the bible says here’s an answer. a gentle answer stops the stirring. it turns away wrath. the word “gentle” there doesn’t mean quiet and meek and you can hardly hear the person. the word “gentle” means able to be honest enough about yourself to admit where you’re at fault. it means, i’ve got enough humility to be able to say that.

just a thought from the front porch…