Communicate Kindness

Approximately seven to ten thousand words a day come out of your mouth! Whether you realize it or not, how you speak determines how people perceive you. Thus, you want to communicate confidently and effectively, and the way to do that is with kindness. See, everyone shares, but not everyone connects. If your words lack kindness, people will tune you out. Nobody wants to hear someone rant and rave. Contrary to misconception, loud and proud is not the pathway to impactful, passionate communication. Instead, we need to use our words wisely, and the way to do that is by carefully considering the impact of "kind talk" on our relationships.

Start by realizing how God wants to use your words to help people, not hurt them. Proverbs 16:24 says, "Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." God has a purpose for your gabbing! His will is for you to be a blessing, not a burden. Sadly, there is enough discouragement and despair to go around the world several times. Therefore, your words need to be healthy and helpful. Like honey that soothes a sore throat, they need to bring healing.

Therefore, being mean, sarcastic, rude, or negative is a surefire way to alienate yourself from others. It is best to clean up those careless and lousy speaking habits. Do you want your comments to add doom and gloom or a ray of sunshine to people's days? The Bible likens this comparison to life and death when it says in Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits."

With this in mind, look for words, body language, tone, eye contact, and a temperament that communicates kindness. By making these proactive efforts, you will connect effectively with others and bring honor to the Lord. So now go and bless someone with your words today!