August 18, 2021
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
– Proverbs 16:24
We should never underestimate the power of kind and pleasant words. In our world that seems so focused on keeping our minds attuned to negativity, we need to keep the positive voices alive in our hearts and minds. In my opinion keeping positive starts with gratitude, and gratitude is how we should strive to start each day.
Each morning when we wake up and take that first breath we have the option, to begrudge that we yet alive and need to get up and do the tasks of the day. Or, we can take that breath and be grateful that we are yet alive, and have a new opportunity to accomplish our work for the day.
It all comes down to that internal attitude in which we choose to start. This same attitude filters into the rest of our day. When we continue with notion of gratitude, we are more likely to be pleasant in our interactions with others, we more likely to share joy, we are more likely to feel the presence of God leading us in love.
The writer of Proverbs reminds us that pleasant words are like the sweetness of honeycomb. These words are not just the kind words that we may say in our daily interactions, but the more intimate words we share within our families, and even more the positive words we speak to ourselves within our minds and souls.
I’ll confess, that often the voice which is harshest on myself is my own. If I allow any words that come from the external can compound on those I speak to myself, and become detrimental to soul and mental health. However, if I choose to start the day speaking gratitude to myself, looking for the goodness of God that has given me a new day, then like the Proverbist states, sweetness can come to my soul and to the health of my body.
The kind and pleasant words we speak in gratitude make a difference to ourselves and to others, and our calling as those who profess Christ are to love one another as Christ has first loved us. I believe this starts with loving ourselves, speaking those kind and pleasant words of gratitude, and perhaps they will spill over to all whom we meet each day, spreading the sweetness that brings healing to body, mind and soul, for the glory of God.
Grace & Peace,
Sam