A Gentle Tongue Is A Tree Of Life
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge, but the mouths of
fools pour out folly.
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the
evil and the good.
A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks
the spirit.
Proverbs 15:1-4
While laughing, we might catch a glimpse of ourselves. Sarcasm
is all too common, and far more serious that we might want to believe.
Heartless sarcasm can be more harmful than physical bruises.
Controlling our speech is not easy, because the real problem is
not our words but our hearts. Behind the insults, we are likely to find in
ourselves an insecurity, fear, or guilt that tempts us to protect ourselves at
the expense of another.
Is there an upside to abusive words? No, unless we take them as
a warning that we are not in step with Christ. In His embrace and grace, let’s
not lash out at one another in an effort to protect ourselves.
Abusive language reveals a sinful heart.
Our Daily Bread –