Two young men were walking down the road one day when they saw an elderly woman pass by. One of them said, "That's Mrs. Jones. She always has something good to say about people. In fact, I've never heard her say a bad word about anyone."

The other man decided to test her, so he caught up with the woman and said, "Mrs. Jones, what do you think about the devil?"

She thought for a second and answered, "Well, he sure is busy, isn't he?"

While Mrs. Jones might take the idea of speaking kindly to the extreme, the Bible says time and time again that our words have the power to build up and tear down others. That's because words communicate our attitudes—and people care about how we think about them.

Speak the truth—but do it in love. Make your words a force for encouragement in others' lives!

Prayer Challenge:

Pray that God would make your words a force for encouragement in others' lives.

Questions for Thought:
Think about at time when you heard someone speak hurtful words about you. How did it make you feel?

Who are some people in your life today whom you can encourage with your words?