A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 ESV

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. Proverbs 15:4 ESV

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Proverbs 16:24 ESV

 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. Proverbs 12:18 ESV

All our verses this week are from the book of Proverbs, and they give us advice and wisdom on how we should speak to the people around us.

Each one of us chooses the words we say to someone. Our verses tell us our words should be “soft” and kind, so as not to start arguments, our words can be gentle and give life, and our words can be sweet like honey and give joy to the soul. Our last verse warns us that our words can be for bad (death) or for good (life). Which will you choose?

When my children were young our guideline was, “Be nice to people and they will be nice to you.” And we usually found that this worked. If you are nice to your teacher, he or she will be nice to you. If you are kind to others, they will show kindness to you.

But sometimes, that isn’t always true. Sometimes people say mean things to us and hurt our feelings. And that makes it hard because we want to say something mean back. But I always remember this verse from Psalms before I say anything that might be mean.

Psalm 139:4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. If the Lord knows what I’m saying, it should be something I wouldn’t mind if He heard! It encourages me to always say helpful and kind things, even if others were mean.

OK, practice time. I am going to give you a situation and you choose what  words you would say to that person. Remember soft and gentle, sweetness and life! You can use some of the words from the picture if you like.

1.         Your best friend just got the last out of the baseball game and he’s upset.

2.         Your sister is crying because she can’t find her kitten.

3.         Your mom is hurrying to get dinner ready so she can visit her sick friend.

4.         Your dad is worried about whether he will get the new job he applied for at work.

Did you choose your words well? I’m sure you did! This week talk with your parents about choosing how to speak to others, even those who aren’t nice to us.

Blessings and joy as you choose your words well!