I love Proverbs. They are so full of wisdom and so easy to read and understand. Solomon doesn’t mince words when he gives these practical instructions for our life. These lessons are golden. We need to read them and apply them. Kind words ARE sweeter than honey.
Today I read Proverbs 16:23-24: “A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
Many times I find myself saying things I wish I hadn’t. I let my flesh take over. Harsh words can cut like a knife. It is so easy to let them fly when we are angry or hurt. I hate myself when this happens.
James 3:10 tells us: “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” This hits the nail on the head. We go to church and sing praises to the Lord and then on the way home we lose our temper and curse at the person who cuts in front of us in traffic. It is so easy to forget that we have just been in the house of God when we get back into the world.
It’s difficult to find kind words when we are upset
How do we have kind words when we are upset? We turn to Jesus and ask him to guide our heart. We pray for the Holy Spirit to keep us from getting upset. We ask Him to help us see others as Jesus does. Jesus showed love and compassion even when He was being crucified. He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
The next time you find yourself in a circumstance that you want to say hurtful things, think about this Proverb. When you show love it is returned to you. I pray we can be more like Jesus.
