My wife, Jean, is a living embodiment of Proverbs 16:24: “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”
Every time I call her on the phone, she answers with a positive tone that lets me know she’s glad to hear from me. Her voice is a moment of respite for me in what can often be a busy and stressful schedule.
Positive words bless people, but it’s not always easy to speak them. James 3:10 says that blessings and curses come from the same mouth. We often learn from a young age to cut people down in ways we dismiss as humor, or we say harsh words out of emotion. These patterns develop early in life by how your parents interact with you, how you banter with your siblings, and so on.
When we come to Christ, a delete button doesn’t get pushed that erases all of those old messages. We have to reprogram our minds with the truth and practice speaking in new ways day by day.
How?
I recently talked about that with Sharon Jaynes. She is the former vice president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the author of over 20 books, including the one we’re discussing with her on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “How Positive Words Can Change Your Life,” The Power of a Woman’s Words: How the Words You Speak Shape the Lives of Others.
One of the helpful insights she offers is the acronym THINK. Ask yourself, “Is what I’m saying…”
- True?
- Helpful?
- Inspiring?
- Necessary?
- Kind?
Sharon shares a lot of other practical ideas that will help you develop new habits for speaking words of blessing into the lives of others. To hear them, join us for our program on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, via Google Podcasts, or on our free phone app.
For Sharon’s full explanation about the power of positive words, you can get a copy of her book The Power of a Woman’s Words: How the Words You Speak Shape the Lives of Others for a gift of any amount. Visit our website for more information.
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