“Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill or nourish life.”
— Proverbs 18:21 (NLT)
Nothing’s more fun than a gab session after school over a soda, or on the phone late at night. Let’s face it. Girls love to talk. A lot! There’s nothing wrong with that, but pay attention to what you say. If your friend tells you about her science fair idea, you can say, “Fabulous idea. How’d you ever think of something that cool?” Or you can say, “At least ten people in class will do that project. It’s soooo lame.” Guess which words bring life and joy to your friend and which ones kill her idea?
Before speaking, pause a moment and consider the effect of your words. How do you think the person receiving them will feel? Sometimes we get so busy sounding clever and making snappy wisecracks that we forget the pain our remarks can cause someone else. And there are consequences for that. Friendships don’t last long when you dish out a steady diet of negative comments, criticism, and (not so funny) put-downs. Use your words to nurture the people in your life. Be uplifting and spread a little joy around. Then sit back and watch it all come back to you, many times over!
More to Explore: Proverbs 10:19 – 21 and Ecclesiastes 10:12 – 14
Girl Talk: Do you use your words as weapons, or do you use your words to uplift others?
God Talk: “Lord, I realize that all words have power. I want my words to have a positive effect and lift up others. Help me to choose my words wisely. Amen.”
From No Boys Allowed by Kristi Holl