Reckless Words and Healing Tongues

Devotions ChopChop ^ | February 13, 2009 | Dave Miller (tenger)

[tenger]

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

A woman called her husband and told him she was in an auto accident.
"What’s the damage to the car?" the husband asked.
"I don’t know. They towed it away."
"So where are you calling from?" he asked.
"The hospital."
Oops!

Have you ever wanted to take back something you said immediately after it came out of your mouth? We have all done it. Careless words. Unkind words. Thoughtless words. If we catch ourselves, we try to salvage the situation. Most of the time, though, like the wife in the story the damage is done. Her welfare should have been his first concern, and not a flimsy car. A scar remains.

But on the other hand, Scripture tells us often that wise and thoughtful words can heal and soothe. Knowing the right and wisest words to use in any situation takes a deliberate effort for many. It's something that we must all work on.

I find it also to be true with correspondence (email). Even though the recipient can't physically see you, your personality comes out in an email. I have a tendency to be sarcastic in my emails, but I also strive for clarity. If there's a chance I'll be misunderstood, I'll erase the offensive parts of what I wrote and remove it completely from the email.

Encourage someone today. Send a card or a handwritten note. Be careful what you say and how you say it. Words mean things and sometimes they hurt.

Words also heal.

[Larry Lucido]

“So where are you calling from?” he asked.
“The hospital.”
“Are you using our Anytime minutes?”