Let Your Words Bring Healing

Whew! It’s been a minute I wrote! I trust we are all keeping well in the midst of COVID-19. Who would have thought 2020 would come with so much drama! But in all these, the fact that we are still breathing is a good sign. It ignites some hope that this too shall pass.

In the heat of this menace, we have heard countless banter between world leaders, some, not so pleasant. Others have spoken with reassurance and injected some dose of positivity into the citizenry as we fight this ailment.

What about our homes? What’s happening? With the imposition of lockdowns in many countries, many are challenged to work on themselves. There have been a plethora of fun ‘challenges’ to kill boredom. Others have taken to exercises to shed of some extra pounds of flesh or gain some healthy pounds. Still, others are discovering new hobbies and making time to bond with family. For others, it is time to revive their spiritual lives and most importantly work on some habits in order to be better humans! These are all great and I’d encourage you to keep going.

Among the things we can choose to work on during this season is taming our tongues in order to bring healing to others. We are all aware of the impact of words on our lives. They can make or break us. Certain words can crush our spirit (Proverbs 15:4)

In James 3:1-12, the writer in the Bible likens the tongue to a fire, which is able to set an entire course of life on fire! He further makes a sobering observation, the tongue is a small member of the body but it can be full of deadly poison. Is there ever a remedy for this dilemma we find ourselves in?

More sobering is the fact that we can’t be entirely perfect because inherently, we are sinful but the good news is that we can strive to bring forth words that can uplift others, bring peace instead of division and quarrels.

In the movie, Like Stars on Earth, a young boy with dyslexia struggles to fit in at school. His parents always compared him with his older brother, who in comparison was smarter. The father, without knowing his boy’s condition, always said harsh words to him. It took a teacher who had a keen interest in him to encourage him each step of the way. His end was great!

In 2 Samuel 25, the story is told of Abigail and Nabal. Her husband, Nabal has incurred the wrath of David and for that, David sought to retaliate by killing him. Abigail, knowing the power of how words can bring peace, hurried to David and sought a wise dialogue with David. The result? David and his men relented of their plan to harm Nabal and his family!

Of course, we won’t always have it right. There are times our words may crush a soul or even have such lethal effect. However, we can start from somewhere by making an intentional effort of guarding our thoughts and ultimately the words that may follow.

The Book of Proverbs has this to stay, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver”- Proverbs 25:11. Another one says, “Speaking rashly is like a piercing sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing”- Proverbs 12:18. There’s another one, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down but a kind word cheers him up”- Proverbs 12:25

In conclusion, does this mean we ought to say kind words for the sake of saying it in order not to touch some raw nerves? I don’t think so. There’s a name for this kind and it’s called flattery. It may seem harmless and its impact may be short-lived. Fritz Cherry has this to say, “Flattery boosts ego, pride and it can also put pressure on the person who is being flattered”. However, genuine words spoken in all sincerity goes a long way in restoring others, even, constructive criticism.

When we err in being gracious with our words, let us acknowledge it and seek forgiveness and may we strive to speak words that heal.

As the world reels in hopelessness amidst so many disorders, would we commit to being the voice of Christ Jesus, whom, in whose presence an adulterer stood, said these words, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you? Neither do I. Go and sin no more”- John 8:1-11

Lastly, this is our prayer, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer”- Psalm 19:14. J J