The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon.

“A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it crushes the spirit.”

—Proverbs 15:4

We do not live in a time when having a soothing tongue is encouraged. Most of the voices we hear are loud, harsh, and intent on winning at any cost.

We feel like we won’t be heard if we don’t match them, but we’re called to be soothing rather than antagonistic. That word “soothing” is also translated “wholesome” and “healing.” It literally means our words can be curative, like medicine.

That’s a beautiful way to use our words—for healing instead of injuring.

It means we use them without that edge of “perversion,” which is also translated “crooked, slippery” or “viciousness.”

Do we speak only with an aim to heal, or do we also want to poke at faults and tear down? Do we speak truth in love and say what we actually mean, or do we sneak in false words, name–calling, and manipulation?

We can use our words to heal even when disagreeing, or we can use our words to cut others down, belittle, and shame them.

Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Every word we say is either giving life to those around us or crushing their spirit.

May we all learn to “bridle our tongues” that our faith may be fruitful (James 1:26), and may all our words give life even when we’re using them in the defense of truth against evil and injustice.

The post December 22-Gentle Words in a Loud World appeared first on C. E. White.