“A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”
– Proverbs 15:4
What a power we carry around inside our mouths!!! When our words are gentle, they are a source of bountiful life, nourishment, and refreshment to others. When our words are perverse, ungodly, harsh, cruel, malicious, gossiping, or false they can break the precious spirit of people made in the image of God. People for whom Christ died…
Think about this proverb, and decide what you want to be – a tree of life or a breaker of spirits. Having a gentle tongue doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything or affirm whatever someone else says or does. A gentle tongue can be firm, loving, honest, caring, and truthful. It can disagree respectfully, lovingly, and firmly. It can validate and affirm relationships and human dignity without validating or affirming things contrary to God’s will, teaching, or design.
A gentle tongue presents the truth of the Gospel and the teachings of God’s word in a way that is loving and more likely to be heard. It literally speaks life into someone spiritually broken or dead.
Gentleness of tongue should be the desire of every Christian, because gentleness is part of the Fruit of the Spirit. Gentleness should naturally flow out of our ever-deepening relationship with Jesus Christ. Indeed, a spirit-breaking tongue should be considered a warning sign that something is wrong with our walk with Jesus! So, which kind of tongue do you have and which kind do you desire?