THE WORD THAT CHEERS

Proverbs 12.25
THE WORD THAT CHEERS
"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up." (12.25)

PROVERBS HAS MUCH TO TEACH US about words. Scattered throughout the book are scores of injunctions about the use and misuse of words. "The tongue has the power of life and death..." (18.21), and so it has! The power of words cannot be under-estimated. A word can kill or heal, save or destroy.

In this proverb, we learn that "a kind word" can lift the anxious heart of a person. We are often told that kindness must come from the heart. True, but it cannot stay there. It must emerge in words. A kind word is all it takes to dispel the shadow of gloom. We may remember times when a few words spoken to us have meant so much, because we see beyond them to a heart of concern and kindness.

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones" (16.24). What an appropriate comparison! Honey is both sweet to the mouth, and nutritious to the body. So are words. They please the ears to hear, and sink deep into the innermost being, bringing with them health and wholeness.

But words that cheer must have a certain aptness and timeliness. In fact, these qualities constitute the secret of their potency for encouragement and comfort. Both the one who crafts the words and the one who receives them finds delight. "A man finds joy in giving an apt reply — and how good is a timely word" (15.23)! Of this, Derek Kidner says, "A truth that makes no impression as a generalisation may be indelibly fixed in the mind when it is matched to its occasion and shaped to its task."

No doubt, as Solomon would agree: "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver" (25.11). When a need calls for it, the word must be spoken, aptly and in time. Blurted tactlessly, or communicated a little too late, its useful effect is diminished or lost altogether.

Knowing the power of words, we need to guard our lips and watch our tongues. Not that we keep silent always; rather, that we should know when to speak and what to say. Words in our mind have been compared to water behind a dam. Great power is released when the water is restrained and directed through the floodgate to turn the turbine. Likewise, words carefully stored, and thoughtfully channelled, make great impact.

Are my words apt and timely?