From: New Life Daily Devotions - Steve Arterburn

Proverbs 16:23 "From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive."

If you seek to be a source of encouragement to friends, to family members, and to coworkers, then you must measure your words carefully. And that’s exactly what God wants you to do. God’s Word reminds us that "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." (Proverbs 12:18)

Today, make this promise to yourself: vow to be an honest, effective, encouraging communicator at work, at home, and everyplace in between. Speak wisely, not impulsively. Use words of kindness and praise, not words of anger or derision. Learn how to be truthful without being cruel.

Remember that you have the power to heal others or to injure them, to lift others up or to hold them back. And when you learn how to lift them up, you’ll soon discover that you’ve lifted yourself up, too.