Anxiety weighs down the human heart, but a good word cheers it up. Proverbs 12:25 NRSVCE
A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. Proverbs 15:4 NRSVCE
16 Fools show their anger at once, but the prudent ignore an insult.
17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness speaks deceitfully.
18 Rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:16-18 NRSVCE
5 Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. Colossians 4:5-6 NRSVCE
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:22-26 NRSVCE
13 Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:13-17 NRSVCE
14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
17 Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. 19 They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 That is not the way you learned Christ! 21 For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not make room for the devil. 28 Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. 29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:14-29 NRSVCE
7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. 2 Timothy 1:7-12 NIV
In our modern day, we are confronted with things that are untrue. I struggle with knowing when to speak, when to hold my tongue. I often wrestle with my conscience. More often than not, I stay silent, or I wait until a private opportune moment. I do frequently wonder if I took the right course of action. Likely, when my conscience stings in an encounter where I stayed silent, I should have spoken. When my conscience is at peace, restraint was the right choice.
When choosing restraint, I am often guided by the principle of whether I am showing love to the person I choose not to confront. I understand that my words and actions will reflect on me as a Christian but also on other Christians. I play for the long game of kindness and compassion changing hearts and not words.
Knowing that I often have this struggle, Tim Keller’s July 3 passage in God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life, which speaks to this issue, spoke to me:
KIND WORDS. The second mark of good speech is kindness. It is not enough for words to be truthful. The word translated as kind means “personal and kind, pleasant and sweet, timely and thoughtful.” Because our words must be life-giving ([Proverbs] 15:4), we must never use truth as a weapon. You must ask yourself why you are telling the truth. Is it to win an argument? To punish or pay back by embarrassing the other person? To undermine something true that the person is saying but you don’t want to hear? To defend your pride? To complain? To make yourself look good to others?
St. Paul says every word must pass this test—”that it may benefit those who listen … according to their needs” (Ephesians 4:29). When you tell the truth, you should always have a ministry motive.” You should only confront to help another person achieve illumination and understanding or to remove distance and barriers between you and the other person. Speak the truth, but in love (Ephesians 4:15). If you do so, it can lift up even someone sinking in anxiety and fear.
Lord, help me to know when to speak and when to say silent. Please guide my words. Let them be kind. Forgive me when they are unkind.
Thank you for the freedom you gave us as individuals, the choice to follow our conscience or conform. Thank you for the strength to do you will. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for the beauty of the world you have given us.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. In your name I pray. Amen.
It made a beautiful day on the river even better when, in the last few miles of our trip down the Saluda River, we sited a large “patch” of Rocky Shoal Spider Lilies, including a few blooms. Rocky Shoal Spider Lilies are endangered due to dam construction. The largest natural habitat for RSSL is just miles from my house on the Landsford Canal of the Catawba River, and we made a point of going before the blooms faded. We also spotted a great blue heron, an otter, birds and turtles galore.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart. Psalm 32:11 NRVCE
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they prosper who love you! Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers!” Psalm 122:6
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." Luke 6:27-28
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” John 13:7
A perfect and beautiful day on the river!