The words of the godly encourage many,
but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.
Proverbs 10:21 (NLT)
One of the greatest gifts a parent can give their child is encouragement. I’m not talking about lavish praise every time they do something right. I’m speaking of the type of encouragement that conveys love, acceptance, and support. The kind of approval that says, “I’ll be there to cheer you on whether you win or lose, whether you succeed or fail, because I love you and I believe in you.”
Our words and actions carry a great deal of weight. They hold the power to encourage or discourage, to build up or tear down, to inspire or dishearten. When the great painter Benjamin West was a young boy, he decided to draw a picture of his sister. He got out bottles of ink and succeeded in making a mess. When his mother got home she said, “What a beautiful picture,” and kissed him. Later in life he said, “That kiss made me a painter.”
The way we respond to our children can impact their beliefs, their character, their self-esteem, and their concept of a heavenly Father. Which begs the question; do my words speak love or hate? Does my mouth spew rubbish or godly wisdom? Is my speech an encouragement to my family and to others, or does it tear them down?
The answer to those questions lies in the content of our hearts and minds. Matthew 12 tells us a tree is identified by its fruit. In the same way, what is in our hearts and minds determine what we say. If we fill our hearts and minds with rubbish, rubbish will come out of our mouths. But if our hearts and minds are filled with the Holy Spirit and God’s Word, our speech is more likely to be pleasing to Him and to those around us.
Today, as you go about your various tasks, ask God to remind you to speak words of encouragement to those around you. It may change your whole day – and theirs as well!
Thought: “Words are containers for power, you choose what kind of power they carry.” – Joyce Meyer
For further reading:
- Matthew 12:33-37
- Proverbs 15:23
- Proverbs 18:4,21
- Proverbs 17:27-28