Beautiful Words

Beautiful Words

No one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil. . . . Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

James 3:8-10

I watched yesterday as a woman rejected a compliment about her creativity. She is talented, so there is no doubt in my mind that the compliment was both genuine and deserved. Why is our first instinct to deny life-affirming words genuinely and truthfully spoken over us, while at the same time we secretly accept, repeat, and even nurture ugly words that have sliced us deeply, often through to our very soul?

Although I now recognize this trap when I see other women stumble into it, I continue to fall into the same trap myself. My first instinct is to reject or downplay anything beautiful that’s spoken about me. I secretly lay claim to ugly words about myself that, more often than not, have never actually been spoken aloud by another person. They’ve been whispered by only that small internal voice that would have me believe I am a failure in so many areas of my life. How I long for every woman to know and recognize her worth!

As I’ve thought and prayed about how to intentionally break this cycle, I’ve discovered the joy of intentionally speaking words of life and affirmation into the lives of people around me. Too often we allow our tongues to wag freely, speaking both blessings and curses over people created in God’s image. We must stop cursing ourselves and others with our words.

So now, I make an extra effort to genuinely compliment others. If I find myself quietly admiring another woman’s ability, her talent, or her scarf (or earrings or fingernail polish or whatever), I tell her, even if I’ve never met her before, even if she doesn’t look insecure or like she needs to be complimented. I choose to share life-giving words freely and without reservation.

—Julie

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Give a genuine compliment to someone you meet—whether it’s a loved one or a complete stranger.