I've been reading a book about the stewardship of our words and finding it really challenging. For example, have you ever thought of conversation as ministry, social action, or a spiritual discipline? According to the author, it can be all three. She says:
"A good conversationalist directs attention, inspires, corrects, affirms, and empowers others. It is a demanding vocation that involves attentiveness, skilled listening, awareness of ones' own interpretative frames, and a will to understand and discern what is true."
From Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies by Marilyn McEntyre
For someone with the gift of encouragement, like me, this is an important truth to hear and to ponder. Our words should be honest, precise, accessible, and gentle. This doesn't mean we can never disagree. The author quotes Elizabeth O'Connor who writes in her book, The Search for Silence:
"Everyone needs someone who will ask him to give an account of himself, so that he can face into his live and confess who he really is."
We can disagree with respect, with a sincere concern for the other person, and a desire to see their perspective. This is a part of daily life that we seem to be losing. Social media can be helpful in staying in contact with those we seldom see in person, but it also fosters conversation that is shallow and limited.
The take-away? Be attentive. Watch your words. Use them virtuously.
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." Proverbs 25:11
For more about words see these posts:
The Importance of Words
A Humble Word
Words Count
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