Apples of Gold - Shirley S. Tye

The first words of significance recorded are found in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible; Genesis.  God simply spoke things into being.  “Let there be…” and it was so.  Amazing!  Ah, but that’s God.  He is all powerful. 

Our words don’t hold the same power.  Oh, hold on!  What’s this I read in Proverbs 15:1?  “A soft answer will turn away anger; but harsh words will stir up anger.”  Proverbs 16:24 reminds us that our words should be pleasant as honeycomb to give sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.  Proverbs 25:11 states it beautifully; “a word spoken at the right time is rich; like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”  And Proverbs 18:21 tells us that death and life are in the power of our tongues.  Wow!  That’s a lot of power in a small organ that is seldom seen. 

The many thank you cards I have received over the years inspire me and from them I see that most of the time my words are “pleasant as honeycomb”.  The encouraging words I’ve written in cards wishing people a happy birthday or happy anniversary, get well soon, thanking them for something they have done whether it was done for me or some duty they carried out have resulted in appreciation.  Sometimes I receive a thank you for a story I’ve told.  People have written; “What a blessing you are…; thank you so much for your insightful story; and may God continue to bless you and your talent.”  Others have said they look forward to receiving my cards because of the uplifting words, the pictures I’ve drawn, or the funny things I’ve written that make them laugh. 

After receiving a thank you note from me, one person wrote; “…You will never know how much that did for me.  Thank you.”  That one shocked me because I had simply written a little note of thanks to that person for the duties he had fulfilled. I had no idea that no one had thanked him; that he felt unappreciated and overlooked despite all he had done.  His appreciation surprised and affected me as much as my words of thanks surprised and affected him.  We were encouraged by each other’s kind words.  Wow!  It’s amazing how much positive power there is in those two little words; thank you.

Sometimes by simply re-wording a sentence the tone and meaning can change from accusation to an explanation.  Take for example a statement that begins with ‘you never’.  Change that statement to ‘I feel hurt when…’  This change in wording can prevent a heated agreement from arising and healthy communication to take place.    

Yes, there certainly is power in words; written words, and spoken words and also the tone in which they are presented.  God has called me to be an encourager and I pray that my words whether spoken or written will always be “sweetness to the soul and health to the bones”; to edify; to build up; to encourage.