Healing tongue

 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. Proverbs 15:4, ESV

What comes to mind when you hear the word “gentle”? Perhaps it is someone who was or is in your life, modeling the essence of a kind or wholesome disposition. To be gentle, in our minds, is closely linked to words, deeds, and actions that are soft-spoken and soothing. It is the opposite of aggressive, harsh, or demanding. 

In Proverbs 15, a gentle tongue is compared to “a tree of life.” Gentleness is closely connected to and meant to produce life. We see this even in the footnotes of our translation of this passage, which notes that “gentle” can also be translated “healing.” To be gentle is to bring healing and life to others.

“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” Proverbs 12:18 

Often we underestimate the impact our words have on others, using them freely without thought or reflection. Yet as Proverbs also reminds us, wisdom invites intentional reflection upon the words we use, never responding rashly from an impassioned heart. It is good and wise to look back upon the words we used, perhaps acknowledging ways we have brought pain or harm to others and seeking reconciliation and forgiveness whenever possible. However, take time to cultivate a habit of intentional reflection and preparation before interactions with others ever take place!

One of the most helpful practices I have adopted in recent years is an intentional reflection upon my daily schedule at the very beginning of each day. Whatever your life may hold, in one way or another, you likely will interact with someone other than yourself: a spouse, children, friends, co-workers, or random strangers at the store. Begin each day by opening your heart to these individuals, and ask yourself the question, “How can I bring healing to these people through the words that I use?”

The more we grow in this practice, the more effective we will be at offering healing to others. Of course, there are generic words of healing that are rooted in kindness and mercy. Yet when we truly know others and share life with them, we are aware of the wounds that they carry, the sorrows of their heart that may not be easily visible, and as such, we are able to share the healing love of God with them through the wise use of our words.