SCRIPTURE:
25 Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.
Proverbs 12:25
OBSERVATION:
Do you ever feel anxious? If so, today’s devotion offers a simple remedy for anxiety: a kind word.
In Proverbs 12, Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, describes anxiety as something that “weighs down the heart” (Proverbs 12:25a). Anxiety is a weight. It causes heaviness, and this heaviness requires you to exert more effort to move forward the same distance without it. Anxiety weighs down and depresses the heart, causing physical and spiritual distress.
Even without Solomon’s description, many of us personally know the effects of anxiety––on work, faith, life, and even relationships. Perhaps you’re even dealing with anxiety right now. If so, one remedy that might lead you to freedom is a kind word. A kind word cheers up the heart and releases it from the negative, debilitating, and heavy effects of anxiety.
The word “kind” is translated from the Hebrew word “טוֹב” (pronounced: tobe). This word can also be translated as “good,” “agreeable,” and “understanding.” Kind words––an encouragement, a thank you, a prophetic word at the right time, and even a simple reminder that someone cares––are remedies for anxiety.
APPLICATION:
There is power in your words. As Solomon writes in Proverbs 18:21, “the tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” There is great power––both productive and destructive––in words, and as we have seen today, your words have the power to bring life, freedom, and lightness to others.
We live in an anxiety epidemic. According to a recent study, 30% of Americans––that’s over 100 million people––deal with anxiety. And that’s just counting the ones that are willing to admit it! And I must admit that I, too, am one of those people who have dealt with it. Whether it's triggered by an unexpected event, a difficult relationship, problems at work, or maybe just the soundtrack we play in our heads, anxiety causes great weight in our lives.
However, looking back on my own experiences, a kind word really does have the power to break the weight of anxiety. I can think back to the times when a friend shared an encouraging word, a family member spoke life over me, or even a random person ordained by God gave me a prophetic word that kept me going. Within you lies great potential for good. The words you use can call forth life, spark joy, and bring freedom. Whether it happens or not solely depends on whether you choose to speak them.
Today, harness the truth in Solomon’s proverbs to release yourself and others from the weight of anxiety. If you see someone who needs encouragement, encourage them! If you see someone with a frown, you have the power to turn it upside down! Speak life, speak peace, and speak Jesus over them.
And the same goes for you. You need encouragement too! Find someone to encourage you. Ask them to speak life into you. And if no one is around, speak words of life over yourself. Open your Bible and remind yourself of what God says about you. And as you read His word, pray, and spend time with the Father, let God Himself encourage you. For as it says in Philippians 4:6-7 “6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
PRAYER:
God,
Thank You for the power of a kind word. Thank You for the times You have spoken life over us and for how You continue to speak life over us––through Your Word, through prayer, and through people. Today, provide people to speak life over us, and use us for Your glory to be a channel through which You speak kind words to those around us. Use us for Your glory.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
