Beautiful Words: Proverbs 16:24

What does the term “gracious words” mean to you? I like the thought of words filled with God’s grace. God inspires us, and as a result, we speak in a way that is reflective of His love.

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

This isn’t always easy. When I’m in a situation where I’m surrounded by other tender-hearted people, gracious words are easy to say and accept. But what about when you’re surrounded by people who lie, attack you verbally, put you on the defensive? As an introvert, one issue I’ve had continually in my life is that I can’t just snap back with an answer. I have to think about it. This sometimes means that I stand there stupidly when other people go on and on. You know that person that can think of the perfect response the minute they are at home? That’s me. I get home and think, “Oh, I should have said this.”

When I worked in the business world, I often got “talked over” by people. I just wasn’t good in that kind of setting. I’m a shy and often dorky writer, and even though I’ve learned to deal with my introverted-ness, there is still a part of me that would rather sit in a corner than stand there and hold my ground.

I admire people that can hold their own in a verbal argument, but if I’m with someone that isn’t being reasonable and just shouting, my first reaction is just to say nothing. That’s not always good. But what can you do?

Well, what I do is go home, get mad at myself, and then pray. Usually, I feel better then, and what’s more, I usually know what to do or say next. If that doesn’t happen, I pray again. When I get my answer, I feel like God nudges me in a certain direction, and then I feel more confident what to say or do next. I can so easily picture His words pouring over me, with the “sweetness” that this quote from Proverbs talks about.