Oct. 23, 2020 ~ Sugar or Spice?

 

Proverbs 12:25~ Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

There have been countless references throughout scripture to the power of people’s words to either bring blessing or pain to others as well as to themselves.  What comes out of your mouth can heal a person and give life when spoken by wisdom and kindness.  Or if spoken without thinking or in haste, words can bring enormous pain.  

Many Proverbs remind is the wisdom of keeping our mouths closed.  When we speak rashly we almost always regret it and may cause irreparable harm to ourselves or those close to us.  Our mouths literally have the power of life and death.  When we hear someone talking unkindly to the store clerk at the gas station, do we stand aside or do we say something?  In today’s climate how easy is it to get upset with someone that we don’t see eye to eye politically with?  I know I have been hesitant to call my Dad because we are at opposite ends of the spectrum politically.  There have been times that I have ended a phone conversation more upset than when I started it.  I wait a day, call Dad back and have a shorter conversation ending it with “I know we don’t see eye to eye right now, but I love you.”  I can hear him sigh, he tells me he loves me and I know we are good.

I trained a horse one time that was kinda “charged” and we didn’t see eye to eye for a while.  He was a big boy and he liked to throw his weight around.  He would yell and walk over the top of you if you let him.  The way he was raised, he didn’t know any better and hadn’t been taught to be better.  I had to figure out a way to get through to this horse to make him a productive member of the equine society.  Horses don’t like to be ignored and they really like treats, at least Sparky did.  So, when he was good he got a treat, when he was naughty and wanted to walk on me, he was left to himself.  He figured out after a couple times of me walking away from him that it was better to talk nice than nasty.

I know friends, family and those that we talk to on a daily basis aren’t like Sparky.  But, what if we talk a little sweeter?  Soften our eyes and carry the proverbial sugar cube instead of a stick?  Bet we catch more flies with sugar than a stick!

Lord,

Please remind me to take a deep breath, soften my shoulders and think before I speak.  I don’t know what the other person may be going through.  I can’t control everything but I can control my tongue.  Please be that guiding hand on my shoulder when I need it and remind me to look at things through others point of view at times instead of just my own. Amen.