NearnessSample

The cruelest cuts are often caused by words, not knives. I can think of many occasions where people have said things to me that hurt deeply—words that cut me to the core of my being, giving me wounds that I have carried for years, and often said by people closest to me.

The great news is that the opposite is also true. Words can heal as powerfully as they can harm. Consider how easy this is! You just need to talk, and you can have such a deep, profound, and positive impact on people!

Today’s passage from Proverbs 16:24 (NIV) describes how deep an impact words can have—they go to the “soul” and the “bones”. Both words describe the very core of our spiritual being (soul) and our physical bodies (bones). Kind words provide deep healing.

How do you want to be known? As a person who hurts others when they speak? Or as a person who heals others when they speak? The choice is yours.

Today, ponder this: What words can you use to heal others today?