Exhortation Station

I had a few thoughts relating to a verse in Proverbs that I wanted to share.  Although I originally intended this post to be a short “nugget,” it ended up being longer than I expected.  😉  I hope you enjoy this post and get something good out of it.

Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad.”

This verse is very true.  By Yah’s grace, I have often experienced the gladness of heart resulting from a good word spoken by a friend or family member.  There have been several times in my life when I’ve struggled with anxiety over something — a tough project at school, a job interview, questions about what to pursue in life, etc — and someone has said a word to me that helped “lift me out of the bog.”

Although a good word from a fellow human being is a blessing, the Scriptures do not promise that we will receive such a blessing in every circumstance.  Here’s the cool part: though we cannot choose when to receive a good word, we can choose to give a good word to someone else.  Proverbs 25:11 says, “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.”  I think that word picture is cool.  Speaking a good word is, I believe, about more than just giving a token “you’ll be okay” to someone (although sometimes such a statement may fit a person’s need).  Speaking the kind of word that is “like apples of gold in settings of silver” requires real attentiveness to the need of the moment.  Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” 

For example, let’s say I have a friend who is stressed out about an upcoming job interview.  He’s doing everything he can to prepare yet is feeling very nervous.  If I notice he looks discouraged, I could say, “Awe, stop worrying — you’ll do fine.”  A more thoughtful course of action, however, would be if I said something like, “Hey man, I know this interview is difficult.  I’ve found myself in your shoes a few times before and have felt overwhelmed.  Just remember I’ll be rooting for you and that Yah has your back.  He’ll be with you every minute.”  Though the first option might provide some measure of help for my friend, the second option would likely go farther in addressing his need.  

I’d like to add to this discussion by saying that sometimes the best course of action is to remain silent.  Sometimes a person may genuinely need space to process things.  Ecclesiastes 3:7 says that there is “a time to be silent and a time to speak.”  When we do speak, may Yah grant us insight to find words that are not only kind, but that hit the nail on the head of what the need of the moment is.

As I mentioned earlier, attentiveness is key to applying Proverbs 12:25 (i.e. speaking a good word).  The importance of attentiveness here is two-fold.  We already discussed one aspect, which is about discerning what the specific need is.  The other aspect of attentiveness is about discerning that there is a need in the first place.  It’s easy to get distracted with life and forget to be mindful of other people.  May Yah help us to see past ourselves that we may not miss opportunities He brings our way.

I’ll conclude with this final point: good words are a gift.  A good word, like any gift, is not something to be expected as if we were entitled to it, but rather is something to be given simply to bless another human being.  I encourage you to look for opportunities to make someone’s heart glad with a good word — not in expectation of receiving anything back (Luke 6:35) or with a mindset of admiring your own piety, but for the joy of knowing you may have planted a seed of hope in a soul that has value in Yah’s eyes.  May Yah strengthen in us the character quality of thoughtfulness.  May He grant us eyes to see when someone needs a word of encouragement and wisdom to discern what that word is.  Perhaps we can have the privilege of helping make an anxious heart glad.

(All Bible passages NASB.)