Proverbs 18:21

Proverbs 18:21 Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit--you choose. (The Message)

Over my life, I've learned that words can heal or hurt and it's not only 'what', but 'how' we say the words as well.

I've noticed people often say, 'I can't control what I say, it just comes out.' But then I think, who controls what they say? What about the gossip thing, who controls those tongues? When you hear people criticizing or making unloving comments about others, whose in control of their tongues?

Words and tone say volumes to me. Not only angry words, but encouraging words. Words/tone can break you or make you.

Over the weekend, I went snowmobiling in Nottingcook Forest here in town and with the warmer temps and the snow melting, the brooks are flowing and breaking the trails up which make crossing them way too challenging for me.
I struggle with them as I do not like crossing open brooks. Encouraging words from a friend helped me do most of them. Also, out there this gigantic, winding, steep hill that I have a problem with coming down on my machine. Because everyone goes faster than I do, I usually bring up the rear and so everyone had gone down the hill and there I sat, at the top of the hill struggling with my fear of it. Not able to maneuver it.

One friend got off their machine and walked back and half way up the hill and said encouraging words to give me the strength and confidence to go down and because of those words and tone, I actually did it, I made it to the bottom. Had they used angry words or making fun of me words with a laughing tone, I would still be sitting at the top right now. But there was none of
that, just sincere words of encouragement.

I believe people can control their tongues/their words. It's hard and we always have to think before we speak, but we do have a choice as to what comes out of our mouths. Anger, gossip, criticism, encouragement, praise or general chatter-we have control.

In the snowmobiling scenario, angry or laughing words would have been the words that kill and were poison, but the words of encouragement were words that gave life and were fruit,

Nancy