Mentoring #6—Mentoring Words

There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword. But the tongue of the wise brings healing. … A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it crushes the spirit. Proverbs 12:18; 15:4

As kids we heard that “sticks and stones will break your bones, but names will never hurt you.” As adults, we all know this is only partly true. What someone says about or to us will never directly harm us in an ultimate sense—no one can separate us from God’s love in Christ. But words can hurt in many other ways. They can separate us from friends and jobs. They can destroy us emotionally and professionally. And we can do this to others also, if we speak rashly or perversely. If we speak wisely, we will have an entirely different effect. If we consider the situation and the hearer, if we ponder how different ways of saying something might be perceived, if we think about how our hearer’s faith might be strengthened by what we say, we will avoid injuring someone with our tongues. More importantly, we will be a source of life to those who hear us. Wise, soothing words extend grace that causes joy in our hearers. For gracious fruit springs from a righteous root, sunk deep in the life-giving grace of God.

O Living Word, thank you for this joyful promise. Put a guard over my mouth, so no rotten word will proceed from it. Cause me to remember that when I speak out of the joy, I have in you, no one will regret what I say. Amen.