By Faith

ByFaith

Are Your Words a Gift?

By Rev. Dr. Dwayne Bond

Words are powerful tools. They have a tremendous impact on people and their relationships, both positively and negatively. In a positive way, words can encourage, strengthen, affirm, edify and celebrate. Humanity benefits from positive words. On the contrary, negative words can discourage, frustrate, humiliate, destroy and disappoint. Words can take an emotional, mental and physical toll on our wellbeing. There is a clear connection between human health and spoken words.

The Bible explains how speech directly impacts our health. According to Proverbs 16:24, “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” What are gracious words? First, let’s seek to understand the meaning of grace. Grace is love that pursues even when the target of pursuit has nothing to offer or give in return. Grace gives generously to the undeserved. Extending grace is to lavish the unmerited with a gift. Grace is thinking the best about a person when there is no reason to do so. Grace is amazing! Grace is free! Grace is inexhaustible. Therefore, gracious words are more than just kind words; they are words that are generously offered to someone who has not necessarily earned them. Gracious words are given based on the love of the giver, not the merit of the recipient. Gracious words are life giving.

Proverbs 16:24 compares gracious words to a “honeycomb.” A honeycomb is a structure of hexagonal, thin-walled in cells made from beeswax in order to store bee honey, pollen and larvae. Simply stated, a honeycomb is the bee’s storage unit for honey. The Scripture is saying that gracious words create a nourishing supply of nutritious “sweetness” to the soul as well as health to the human body.

The verse also refers to both our bodies and our souls. Man is not only a physical creature but he is also a living soul. The physical nature of our bodies is made up of cells, tissues, organs and fluids. The immaterial part of our bodies consists of a soul. God formed the man of dust from the ground (material) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (immaterial), and the man became a living creature (Genesis 2:7). Both our bodies and souls are affected by words. When we speak gracious words to one another, they holistically feed and nourish a person’s health and offer delight, satisfaction and refreshment. “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). Gracious words heal, soothe and comfort. They provide an opportunity for people to be nourished. On the contrary, rash words, destroy, harm and break hearts. How do we become more gracious in our speech? We become gracious with our words when we place our faith in the grace given by the Gracious One – Jesus Christ. May His relentless pursuit of you and His offering of the gift of grace engulf your heart and empower you to be a dispenser of grace to those in your midst. P

“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

—Proverbs 12:28

The Rev. Dwayne Bond is the lead pastor of Wellspring Church.