Blessing Others – Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
Our words have Herculean power. When they flow out of our love for God and others, they are like “apples of gold in settings of silver.”[1] They produce a fountain of life,[2] doing incalculable good and giving profuse joy. They can embolden the frightened, assuage the angry, soothe the troubled, and comfort the broken-hearted. They can lift up, energize, and encourage their recipient as they spread light where darkness reigned. Bathed in wisdom and righteousness, our words can heal deep wounds.[3] Spoken in kindness at a God-ordained moment, they can change the course of a life, bringing out an untapped talent or turning a person away from a destructive path. Enriched with understanding and discernment, they can cut through a blinding fog and set a clear course for one incapacitated by indecision.
We are the custodians of massive wealth that we can spend liberally by using the words of our mouths to deliver blessings to others, rather than curses. Our truthful, tenderhearted words carry an offering of peace.[4] Our sympathetic words distribute kindness. Our gentle words, spoken from a caring heart, pour out a life-giving sustenance to the lonely. Beautiful are the words of the saints spoken in love, and oh, how desperately the world needs this beauty.
Pray that your words may give
grace to those who hear.[5] As you faithfully
guard your lips, choosing edifying words, you will delight in touching the
hearts and souls of others, and you will know the joy of joys that comes with
kindness spoken in truth, lifting your own spirit by the lovely thoughts that
accompany your words.[6]
Like apples, golden
In settings of silver
Kind words embolden
The faint-hearted soul
Like a fountain of life
To dissipate strife
In the midst of confusion
Sorrow, delusion
Tender words spoken
Comfort the broken
Gentle and feeling
Righteous and healing
Soothing and giving
Vital, life living
Gracious words bring
A sweet offering
[1] Proverbs 25:11
[2] Proverbs 10:11
[3] Proverbs 12:18
[4] Romans 14:19
[5] Ephesians 4:29
[6] Proverbs 15:23
