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POWER OF KIND WORDS

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 10, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 45.

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POWER OF KIND WORDS.

By Pauline E. Fife

There is infinite power in kind words and tender tones. God’s most mighty means of winning the lost is through the still, small voice. His voice is always loving, for He is love. How tenderly yet powerfully He speaks to us through nature, of purity, trust, and obedience!
“What ice-bound barriers have been broken, What rivers of love been stirred, By a word in kindness spoken, By only a gentle word!”
Love alone can save from sin. But how easy to forget that “the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God”! The reproof given with flashing eyes and sneering, taunting words is never effectual except for evil. “Grievous words stir up anger, but the tongue of the wise is health to the bones.” How often men take up these weapons of Satan and shoot them straight into the hearts of even the ones they love! Often Satan himself looks out of people’s eyes when they correct faults in others.
“Angels of God will flee from the home where there is strife and angry words.” O, that men realized more the power kind words have to soothe, cheer, and inspire!
“The ill-timed truth we might have kept, Who knows how sharp it pierced and stung? The word we had not sense to say, Who knows how grandly it had rung?”
Men and women faint under heavy burdens and go down to defeat whom one honest, kind word might have saved. True, we urge them, scold, threaten, and point out the disaster which awaits wrong action, but our words are powerless because they lack the inspiration of love. Why should we lock up in our hearts these powerful ministers of strength and inspiration?
“What silence we keep year after year, With those who are near to us and dear. We live beside each other day by day, And speak of myriad things, but seldom say The full, sweet word that lies just in our reach, Beneath the commonplace of common speech.”
Why should we wait until icy death has sealed the ear and chilled the responsive heart before we speak out freely praise and tender thoughts? On many a tombstone there are loving words which the silent sleeper beneath was once hungry to hear; but which slow and selfish hearts withheld. Often we pay our debt of love and gratitude too late.
O, then, let us learn to speak more of these gentle words! “Life and death are in the power of the tongue,” so let us use it to its fullest capacity for good.
Speak out sweet, encouraging words to the starving hearts about you. Let them crowd out the harsh, censorious ones.
Pray the good Master that your lips may be touched with a coal from the altar of love—“that in your tongue may be the law of kindness.”
PAULINE E. FIFE.
Oakland, Cal.