A tree of life or crushing the spirit?
Daily Reading: Genesis 15, Psalm 15, Matthew 15, Proverbs 15
Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others.
who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
Psalm 15:1-5
I love God’s timing.
Just yesterday I was speaking with my basketball team before practice during a “mental health break” that we like to do every so often. These are a way to slow down, take the focus off basketball, and talk about issues facing high schoolers today that impact our mental health and what we can do in our own lives to have a positive impact.
Yesterday we talked about the power of the words we choose, both positive and negative.
Back in Psalm 12 we read:
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. -Proverbs 12:25
Today I opened up the Bible to do my daily reading and started with Psalm 15.
“…whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others…whoever does these things will never be shaken.”
I smiled, knowing exactly what God wanted me to write about today. Then I turned to Proverbs 15.
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” -Proverbs 15:1
“The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” -Proverbs 15:4
Our words have power.
I shared a story yesterday with my team about the influence we can have, not only through the positive impact our words can have on others, but also the ripple effect that can have on the words other people choose as well.
I had a mentor throughout my early adult life, Chris Samuels, that did one thing better than anyone else I have ever met. I can’t remember a single time that I heard him say a negative word about another person. Not once.
No subtle comments, little jabs, or gossip.
It made me want to be a better person. I have always strived to emulate this in my own life.
Throughout my time in the world of business, my coaching, in ministries I have been involved with, and in my personal life as a husband, father, and friend, I have always wanted to be a person that cheers the anxious heart with kind words.
In a world today that is filled with so much toxicity, and where so many influences look to tear us down, crush our spirit, and stir up anger; I want my words to be a “tree of life”.
Chris had a huge influence on that.
The question I posed to the girls yesterday was this:
What would it look like if Okemos Girls Basketball not only prioritized lifting each other up with the words we choose, but also made the decision to be a pillar in our community when it came to this as well? What would it look like if we gently pushed back in the classroom when a friend was gossiping about someone else? What would it look like if we not only chose words of kindness towards friends and teammates, but everyone? Could we be people that others look back on, the same way I look back on Chris Samuels, and think, “I want to be more like them in this way. I want to speak life with my words. I want to be someone who is always filling other people’s buckets, and never tearing them down.”
Every single day we have the opportunity with the words we choose to:
“Cheer up the anxious heart and be a tree of life.”
or
“Stir up anger and crush the spirit.”
I will pose the same question to anyone reading this blog today.
What would it look like this year if Christians all around the world chose to be trees of life?
There is an amazing opportunity for all of us to impact someone’s life in a positive way with our words and actions today. Along with that, we also never know who might end up seeing our example, and 20 years later say, “Their example made me want to be a tree of life as well!”
The positive ripple effect could be an absolute tsunami.
Daily Reflection & Dialogue
Who is one person I could positively impact today through kind words? Are there any situations in my life currently where I frequently feel the urge to engage in gossip, slander, or slurs about others, and how can I use those as an opportunity to shine a light for others instead?
