Be Kind.

“Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy to the body.”

Proverbs 16:24

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.” Proverbs 18:21

Simply put, in the above verses, the writer is talking about how important it is that you speak good things over your life and the lives of others. Words are powerful!

Something I have asked the Lord for is to see His children through His eyes. However, sometimes people are simply not living for God, and to be honest, it can be hard to not be judgmental and speak out the negative things that you see in those people. However, God sees people differently. He sees the potential in them, because he created each one of us with a special and unique purpose (Psalm 139:13-16).

I have been friends with a lot of people over the years that struggled with different things, both Christians and non-Christians. But as I prayed for them, spoke encouraging words to them, told others the potential I saw in them & declared God’s promises over their life, I saw God transform some of them right in front of my eyes. There are a few I am still praying for and encouraging (and there are some that I haven’t seen in years, because of different seasons in my life- Ecclesiastes 3:1), however, I know that either way I am planting seeds. I may not see the harvest, but I trust God that one day it will come about!

I do want you to understand though that it is not my encouraging words or my prayers that changed people- those words and prayers were only seeds being planted. God is the one that transformed these people. However, the seeds planted by a kind and encouraging word are not without purpose. Never underestimate the power of a kind word.

Oh and one more thing, sometimes YOU (yes, you!) need encouragement. I remember all of the times that people have been kind to me. I have saved so many letters and notes from friends and family members because of the encouraging and kind things written in them. I love how kind words were often spoken to me in my most vulnerable moments.

So LOVE others, speak truth into their lives (I am definitely not suggesting that you act as if people are perfect, they definitely need to be held accountable), and always be kind.

I’ll leave you with this- living a life for Christ is not always easy, but it is always worth it!

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

XOXO,

Anna