Words.

"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own."

-Ben Sweetland

"Much wisdom can be crowded into but four words: This too shall pass. Still waters run deep. Charity begins at home. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Live and let live. Bad news travels fast. Nothing succeeds like success. Politics makes strange bedfellows. Man proposes, God disposes. In God we trust."

-Bits and Pieces

"Little keys can open big locks. Simple words can express great thoughts."

-William Ward

"Cold words freeze people, and hot words scorch them, and bitter words make them bitter, and wrathful words make them wrathful. Kind words also produce their image on men's souls; and a beautiful image it is. They smooth, and quiet, and comfort the hearer."

-Blaise Pascal

"Kind words never die, but without kind deeds they can sound mighty sick."

-Anonymous

"Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up."

-Proverbs 12:25 NLT

Proverbs is loaded with mini-sermons on words, talk, tongues, and the results of right and wrong in what we choose to say. We are warned of lying lips, talebearers, false witnesses, words of the wicked, grievous words, and more. Here is a verse that provides instruction for a proper and positive way to use words. In fact, the Scriptures here don't even use the plural; a single word will do the job, " . . . an encouraging word cheers a person up." Word! Can you believe that? With one word we can change the day for someone!

Look at that verse again, "Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up." A discouraged, downtrodden, defeated, worrying heart is what we have here. It may belong to a high school student who just flunked Spanish, or a dad who thinks he may lose his job, or a driver who just saw the blue lights flashing behind his car. We see the people weighed down by worry every day. Sometimes we joke about them and other times we simply avoid them because we're afraid we'll say the wrong thing, ask the wrong questions, and just make matters worse. We forget that a little encouragement, even one word, goes a long, long way. According to this verse one word of encouragement could turn things around.

We have a tendency to dwell on the negative side of almost every issue of life. We're probably programmed to do that. After all most moms and dads will overlook three A's and two B's to point out that one D on a report card. The news is always 99.9 percent bad with murder, muggings, and armed robbery (and that's just about our government)! Newspapers are "printed TV" echoing all the bad news all over again. Anyone who really needs encouragement and freedom from worry should most likely turn off the TV, throw the newspaper back at the newsboy, and find an encouraging friend.

Maybe we should use fewer words at times, applied from sensitive and compassionate hearts, and be encouragers to those whose hearts are heavy with worry. As I think of ways to encourage some thoughts come to mind:

Smile! That's a single word! It may be all it takes to make someone's day special! There's nothing wrong with a hug too. A hug is a warm smile.

President Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Forget the big stick; use a big heart instead! Soft-spoken words from big hearts are generally well-placed and well-received.

Shhhhh! If you don't know what to say, don't say anything. Grab a hand, give a hug, let silence be the encouragement.

Listen! Sometimes you don't even need to use an encouraging word. A listening ear is often very encouraging to someone who is having a bad day. Good listeners are very hard to find. Those who have a friend who is a good listener are blessed indeed.

Be available! One word of encouragement from one dependable friend, when needed, covers a multitude of worry.

Jesus was the ultimate bearer of the Good News. He was kind, always compassionate, always building up (even when he was overturning tables and confronting unfaithful disciples), always giving hope to the hopeless and help to the helpless, and always ready to listen. He used his words wisely and, most of the time, in small doses. That's what we should want . . . to be like him.

Today let's decide that we'll speak less, encourage more, and change some tomorrows.

Count me in!