Behavior 13 - The Habit of Adding Value to Others - Details

Our tongue is one of the most power things we have. Just like the song by Hawk Nelson says ““Words can build you up, Words can break you down, Start a fire in your heart or Put it out.”

What I like about this chapter, it takes the focus off of us. We complain about all of our nere-do-wrongs about ourselves, making us completely self-focused. The problem with that, when we are too focused on ourselves, we tend to neglect others, or we lash out to others.

So here we are again at the cross road, and its time to take the focus off putting ourselves down and time to focus on bringing other people up. I learned a while ago as a mom and woman of our house, my words have quite the power, good and bad. My family tends to go with what I have rolling out of my mouth. When I slowed down and actually listened, realized my own negativity was quite contagious, I started to change my tune as well as others!

·       ·   “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” Proverbs 16:24

·        · “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29

·         · “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” Matthew 12:36

·       ·   “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” Proverbs 13:3

Take the focus off of you, and build up someone else, add value to someone who seems to have low self esteem.

“You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world’s happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciations to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.” – Dale Carnegie

Abba,

I pray that you give us the wisdom to choose words that will build up each other, and not brings us down. I also ask that you open our hearts, our minds, to hear you, and help us to be the encourager to others, as you are with us.

Amen