“Words of encouragement are free.  They cost us nothing–but a careless word or a critical spirit can be very costly.” –[Does God Really Care What I Say?]

Well, truth is, I had a lot to say about Proverbs 12.  But I erased it.  Because sometimes less is more.

If you’ve ever noticed the header on my blog page or read the page About Me, you will see that one of the main reasons I blog is because I want to be an encourager.  As a writer, I know how powerful words can be, and though I have an audience that I will never see face to face, I do know that there is One who knows me and knows my heart–and my goal in writing must always be to please Him–not just with my words, but my actions as well.

Chapter 12 of Proverbs is packed with reminders that God cares about how we live out our faith more than the rituals associated with religious activity.  So much of the world sees Christianity as a set of rules designed to restrain us.  It couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Much like a map is designed to keep you on the right track, God’s Word was written and preserved through time so we would know the right way to live.  If you’ve joined me in this journey through 31 Days of Proverbs, you can see that He cares very much about how we treat each other with our words and our actions.  Why don’t you read Proverbs 12 right now?

How did God’s Word speak to you today?  What were you encouraged by?  How can seeing God’s perspective change the way you think or act?

“A man will be satisfied with good by the words of his mouth, and the work of a man’s hands will reward him.”  Proverbs 12:14