“The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”

A soothing tongue is not the same as a smooth tongue. We all know the old image of the “used car salesman” as a smooth-tongued person—deceiving and misrepresenting a lemon. As unfair as it was, it painted the picture of a distrustful scammer. Conversely, a soothing tongue paints the picture of a kind, loving parent quietly calming the hurt spirit of a child. What we say can either give life or destroy. I’ve had broken bones, and the old adage about sticks and stones hurting us but words not hurting us is an unbiblical lie. We do our children a grave disservice when we teach them that. Instead, they need to grow in the biblical truth that our words have powerful. The worst and most pervasive bullying I see among young people—and in the adult world—is the kind done with words spoken with the express intent to hurt or destroy. I have known many talented, beautiful, brilliant young people who genuinely believed they were losers, ugly, and stupid because of the steady diet of words reinforcing those lies throughout their young, formative years. Too often by those closest to them. Nothing anyone said later in life could completely break through those lies. A steady, calm recitation of God’s truth about the inherent value of each person is the responsibility of all of us, and especially of those who claim His name. Today, speak soothing life and truth. #BeTheEdge

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29 NIV