A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.
A sound and wholesome tongue gives life like a fruitful tree, offering living words of love that carry great worth, beauty and power. Perverseness in speech twists and turns harsh, wounding and breaking the spirit. Death and life rest in the power of the tongue, for gracious and pure words still call the thirsty to choose life, while curses and oaths and jest and sneer spread death like poisoned breath. Such words lay bare the heart within, since good speech flows only from a good heart, and angry, bitter and impatient words merely deepen those feelings in both speaker and hearer.
Life and Death in Speech
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, life-giving and of great worth and beauty and power in a dark earth as a giver of living words of love and life. Pure and wholesome words have life-giving power to comfort and encourage and help save a soul, while the tongue reveals the heart within and cannot be made good while its source remains malicious. Perverseness in the tongue is a breach in the spirit, for perverse and twisted and harsh speech wounds and breaks the spirit and has power to wound and lead toward evil. Wholesome and gentle speech brings life and comfort and encouragement like a tree of life, soothing and quieting hearers and encouraging good will, while angry and bitter and wrathful speech intensifies those feelings in both speaker and hearer.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue. The wholesome side is seen in gracious and pure words like those spoken in Galilee, still calling the thirsty to make the Word their choice and know its life, and the opposite is words of death heard daily from far and near, curses and oaths like poisonous breath, and jest and woe and sneer. Words reveal the heart within, for good words that please God come from a good heart. The righteous considers what to say before speaking, and fitting words are a blessing.
Angry and bitter and wrathful and impatient words do harm rather than relief, intensifying those feelings in both speaker and hearer.
Using the Wholesome Tongue
The tongue is to be kept and guarded, held back from evil and deceit and turned to good rather than to wounding or to leading others toward evil. When lips have been touched by God, speech becomes life-giving in its presentation of truth, bringing forward fresh truth in a new setting. Words that uphold and defend truth bless both speaker and hearers, invigorating and refreshing and gladdening their hearts, and fitting words spoken of God's goodness and love and righteousness are a blessing.
A Christian worker must first use this new and wholesome tongue in his own language before expecting God to give the gift of speaking in another language. A wise tongue that shares sound principles of physical health is a tree of life that can bring healing to those who accept them. Kind and gentle words of sympathy and hope and comfort soothe and quiet and comfort hearers, gladden and encourage the oppressed and weary, encourage good will, and shame people out of sour and unkind feelings.
A kind word and tender tone can lift the downcast, turn an enemy into a friend, open a heart hardened by pride, and melt hatred and scorn and grief. The image of a tree of life fits the love and healing that such gentle words bring, and their full worth is known to God. Pure and wholesome words have power to comfort and encourage and help save a soul. In the home a calm and gentle voice makes the home happier and discipline steadier, while children readily adopt their mother's way of speaking, so that harshness leaves a painful legacy.
A sound and wholesome tongue gives life like a fruitful tree, offering living words of love that carry great worth, beauty and power. Perverseness in speech twists and turns harsh, wounding and breaking the spirit. Death and life rest in the power of the tongue, for gracious and pure words still call the thirsty to choose life, while curses and oaths and jest and sneer spread death like poisoned breath. Such words lay bare the heart within, since good speech flows only from a good heart, and angry, bitter and impatient words merely deepen those feelings in both speaker and hearer.
Life and Death in Speech
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, life-giving and of great worth and beauty and power in a dark earth as a giver of living words of love and life. Pure and wholesome words have life-giving power to comfort and encourage and help save a soul, while the tongue reveals the heart within and cannot be made good while its source remains malicious. Perverseness in the tongue is a breach in the spirit, for perverse and twisted and harsh speech wounds and breaks the spirit and has power to wound and lead toward evil. Wholesome and gentle speech brings life and comfort and encouragement like a tree of life, soothing and quieting hearers and encouraging good will, while angry and bitter and wrathful speech intensifies those feelings in both speaker and hearer.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue. The wholesome side is seen in gracious and pure words like those spoken in Galilee, still calling the thirsty to make the Word their choice and know its life, and the opposite is words of death heard daily from far and near, curses and oaths like poisonous breath, and jest and woe and sneer. Words reveal the heart within, for good words that please God come from a good heart. The righteous considers what to say before speaking, and fitting words are a blessing.
Angry and bitter and wrathful and impatient words do harm rather than relief, intensifying those feelings in both speaker and hearer.
Using the Wholesome Tongue
The tongue is to be kept and guarded, held back from evil and deceit and turned to good rather than to wounding or to leading others toward evil. When lips have been touched by God, speech becomes life-giving in its presentation of truth, bringing forward fresh truth in a new setting. Words that uphold and defend truth bless both speaker and hearers, invigorating and refreshing and gladdening their hearts, and fitting words spoken of God's goodness and love and righteousness are a blessing.
A Christian worker must first use this new and wholesome tongue in his own language before expecting God to give the gift of speaking in another language. A wise tongue that shares sound principles of physical health is a tree of life that can bring healing to those who accept them. Kind and gentle words of sympathy and hope and comfort soothe and quiet and comfort hearers, gladden and encourage the oppressed and weary, encourage good will, and shame people out of sour and unkind feelings.
A kind word and tender tone can lift the downcast, turn an enemy into a friend, open a heart hardened by pride, and melt hatred and scorn and grief. The image of a tree of life fits the love and healing that such gentle words bring, and their full worth is known to God. Pure and wholesome words have power to comfort and encourage and help save a soul. In the home a calm and gentle voice makes the home happier and discipline steadier, while children readily adopt their mother's way of speaking, so that harshness leaves a painful legacy.