Our words help shape the atmosphere around us. Proverbs 10:21 says, “The lips of the righteous feed many,” giving us a picture of words that nourish and strengthen others. But encouraging speech does not begin with simply trying to say nicer things. What comes out of us is connected to what is filling us. Before we can speak words of life to others, we first need to receive the words of life from Jesus.
Jesus tells us that the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. We can try to change our words, but lasting change begins with what is happening within us. Psalm 23 introduces us to the Shepherd who restores, guides, comforts, protects, and provides. When we are depleted, we do not have to manufacture encouragement for others. We can come to Jesus and allow Him to fill what is lacking in us until our lives begin to overflow.
The more time we spend with the Shepherd, the more familiar we become with His voice. Whatever we continually feed on, we eventually become fluent in. We can become fluent in criticism, fear, shame, gossip, and condemnation, or through proximity to Jesus, we can learn a new language. As His words restore us and shape our hearts, we begin to sound more like the One we are following.
After restoring Peter, Jesus tells him to feed and care for His sheep. What we receive from Jesus is meant to flow through us to the people He has placed around us. Ephesians 4:29 gives us a practical picture of this kind of speech. Our words should build people up, meet the need of the person in front of us, and give grace. Encouragement requires us to pay attention and ask what someone actually needs so that they leave our conversations carrying grace, courage, dignity, and hope.
