Pleasant words

The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, But the words of the pure are pleasant. - Proverbs 15v26

Isn’t it interesting how often the Bible talks about our words? Proverbs is one of those books that is just packed with sayings about the importance of words. Sometimes the teachings are very deep and profound, but sometimes the comments about words are very clear and simple.

That is the way that the second part of this proverb is. ‘The words of the pure are pleasant words.’

I find that challenging and convicting. I am afraid that most of us are not known for our pleasant words. We seem to revel in borderline speech that is harsh to the ear in both context and tone.

Sure, there are times when we must use words that are not necessarily pleasant at the moment, but the goal, even then, is to bring about a pleasant result in the long run.

But I am not even talking about those words here. I am talking about the general principle that people with pure hearts speak words that are pleasant. Pleasant words are pleasant to the ear and pleasant to the soul. Pleasant words sound nice. Pleasant words are not designed for shock value.

Pleasant words don’t tear down – they build up. Pleasant words are not coarse and ugly. They are good to hear. Pure hearts, when yielded to the Spirit’s control, are going to produce pleasant words.

I have to ask myself, ‘what do my words say about my heart?’