guest post by Olivia Tracey
I was waiting in line at a Tim Hortons. In front of me was a guy wearing a somewhat flashy shirt with black and white portraits of a cool-looking dude all over it. It was hard to miss, especially when it’s about three feet in front of you.
As my thoughts wandered while I waited in the long line, another young guy crossed the small restaurant and approached the man in front of me. Giving him a fist bump, he said, “I love your shirt, man. I just had to come tell you that. That’s sick, bro.”1 The guy in the shirt smiled and said thanks.
Even though I wasn’t directly involved in the exchange, I felt encouraged. Seeing another person encouraging and complimenting someone he didn’t even know made me smile. That small action not only did those two guys good, but it also reminded me of the power of a kind word.
Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones” (NKJV). Just a small encouragement can lift people up and make them feel seen and appreciated. Even a simple “I like your outfit” or “You’re doing a great job!” is enough to bring a smile to someone’s face and brighten their day.
We don’t always know what people are going through or how much they may be struggling. The people in our workplaces or schools might never have been told that they are beautiful or talented or smart. In fact, they may have been told the exact opposite.
Think about how harmful a single malicious comment can be and how much weight it can carry. It can determine what kind of day we have or how we view ourselves and others if we allow it to take root in our minds and control our thoughts.
If a bad word can do so much harm, how much good can a kind, encouraging word do? Proverbs 18:21 tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Rather than speaking bitterness or hatred, we can choose to share God’s love by speaking life to those around us in ways as simple as a compliment, an encouragement, or a prayer.
The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (NIV).
Not only is it Christ-like behavior to encourage and edify others with our words, but it is also a biblical command. (For further reference, see Proverbs 12:25, Colossians 4:6, and Proverbs 15:1.)
As Blaise Pascal, a French scientist, mathematician, and inventor, once said, “Kind words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips. They make other people good-natured. They also produce their own image on men’s souls, and a beautiful image it is.”
It does not take much time or effort to say something kind to someone, but it can have a tremendous impact on others’ lives and even on yourself.
First Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…” (NIV). One way to do this is by speaking kindly and encouraging others with our words.
May our prayer echo that of the psalmist in Psalm 19:14 (ESV): “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
- This is a compliment some young people say to each other 🙂
↩︎
Olivia Tracey is a 17-year-old high school student from Toronto, Ontario. She has been a bookworm ever since she started reading at age three. She is passionate for others, especially her generation, to know and experience the real Jesus in a vivid and tangible way. You can follow her on her devotional blog, The Remnant.
Leave a Reply