"The tongue that heals is a tree of life
but a devious tongue breaks the spirit" 
Proverbs 15:4

This past week has been one of the longest that I have had in a while.

I must have gotten five tickets to the longest emotional roller coaster without knowing it—one for me and one for each of my littles.

Our emotions and responses to each other were less than stellar. Less than kind and compassionate. We were all just plain mean to each other.

We each had a meltdown at least every day, sometimes multiple times a day. By the time the weekend came, we were exhausted.

As I read Proverbs this week, I was reminded of this. How we speak to each other sets the tone for our lives.

If you have littles or coworkers, you know this. If you interact with people daily, you see how a simple word can greatly impact someone. A tone of voice can crush someone or lift them up.

God said this very thing in Proverbs 15. The chapter is riddled with wisdom on the power of the tongue and the words that it says. It has the power to turn away anger, heal, and bring knowledge and wisdom. It has the power to bring peace or stir up strife. Our words are powerful, and the way we say things matters.

I love how the amplified version of the Bible puts chapter 15, verse 4

A soothing tongue [speaking words that build up and encourage] is a tree of life,

But a perversive tongue [speaking words that overwhelm and depress] crushes the spirit.

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Your Monday Moment

How can your uplift someone in your life this week?

Where can you grow in how you interact with those around you?

Let this week be where you look beyond the surface of those around you. Be that soothing voice in someone’s life. Bring hope to someone around you through what you say. It’s not just what you say, but how you say it.