Scott had
always admired the relationship between Ken and Phyllis, his wife’s parents. So
he asked them one day what made their marriage work. Ken replied, “You need to
keep it sweet!”
A friend
of mine concludes many of her notes to me and other friends with these words:
“Remember to be good to each other.”
That’s
great advice from both of them about being kind. The daily stresses of life can
easily cause us to get irritable with our spouses or with others. We pick at
the little annoyances or criticize minor habits. We blurt out harmful, unkind words without thinking.
The book
of Proverbs gives us counsel about the words we use with others. It says,
“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles” (21:23). And
there are these warnings: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”
(18:21); and “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise
brings healing” (12:18 niv). Ken’s advice about “keeping it sweet” reminds me
of Proverbs 16:24, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul
and health to the bones.”
Lord,
fill our hearts with words that will be a blessing to others today.
Kind
hearts are the gardens; kind thoughts are the roots; kind words are the
flowers; kind deeds are the fruits. (RBC)
