Kind words

Proverbs 16:24 (NLT)
24 Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

This proverb speaks metaphorically about kind words tasting like honey to those who hear them. The pleasant words should be from the heart of wise teachings. They are words of seasonable advice, instruction, and comfort. These words should often be taken from God’s own word and passed down as teachings to others. Solomon had learned from his father to account sweeter than honey and the honey-comb from Psalm 19:10. To those that know how to relish them - these words are pleasant. They are like the honey-comb, sweet to the soul, which tastes in them that the Lord is gracious, kind and merciful. They are wholesome words. Many things are pleasant that are not profitable, but these pleasant words are health to the bones, to the inward man, as well as sweet to the soul. They take the bones, which sin has broken and put out of joint, to rejoice. The bones are the strength of the body; and the good word of God is a means of spiritual strength, curing the disease of sin that has weaken us.

This proverb is easy to identify with. Try to think of someone who enjoys hateful, venomous, burning words being railed against them. I would dare say there are few if any that would choose a hateful lecture over a kind word. I know personally I would much rather hear a kind word.

Hateful words stir and enrage the soul. Hateful words tear down a person. Hateful words tear into the soul and rip it apart. In today’s world we often hear about the bullying of another with words that are mean and cruel. In the past few years words alone have been enough to cause teens to take their lives. In some cases the bullying has caused violence to break out. So we must remember that hateful words destroy lives.

Kind words are sweet and pleasant to the ears. Kind words lift a soul out of darkness and take it towards the light of Christ. Kind words encourage, sooth, comfort, motivate, and show the love, mercy and grave given by God. You see words of kindness are wrought from the fruit of the spirit while words of hate are wrought from our sinful desires.

As Christians we should always be willing to pass along kind words to others. If we are allowing The Holy Spirit to work in our lives then we know the words we say will be associated with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no condemnation against us when our words come from these motives.

If your words relate to sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these then your words are coming from your sinful nature and contain hate for God within them.

I pray as you speak to non-believes as well as Christian’s your words would be those of kindness. I pray the words you use would be as a light to show those who do not know God what God is truly like. I pray hatred will be put aside in all cases and that you find a means to restrain and hold against the temptation of lashing out hatefully. May God guide you and bring others to Him because of your own kindness. Amen!