Words Bring Healing or Pain
Scripture
Proverbs 15:4
The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
Devotion
I had two friends that I thought of as I was reading this passage. The one friend, when I think of him I get a good feeling inside. The other friend troubles me when my thoughts are directed towards him. The troubling thoughts are because recently he purposely did things to caused difficulty in our relationship. He lied to me and then got very mad and displayed a great deal of anger towards me when I tried to discuss the situation with him. He has done this on several occasions throughout our friendship. Although he is still my friend, the thought of spending time with him does not thrill me because my spirit has been wounded. My other friend however has always been someone who has helped me through many difficult times. His words are always gentle and kind. When I think of him there is an amazing amount of respect and love that I feel within. When I think of him, I think of Jesus. I look forward to spending time with him because I know it will be a time when my spirit is built up and not torn down. What type of friend would you rather be, someone who brings healing or one who has a deceitful tongue that crushes spirits?
There are many things to think about here. The fruit of God's spirit, forgiveness, love, the power of our actions and the effects of our spoken words.
