Be wise, careful in how you communicate
"The heart of the wise teaches his mouth ..." - Proverbs 16:23 (NIV)
As a writer and speaker, communication is of the upmost importance in what I do.
As a nurse, I had to communicate clearly with patients and doctors. A lack of expressing the right information could have made the difference between a poor outcome for my patients or an excellent one.
God has so much to say about the way we communicate with others. Our relationships and productivity could flourish if we could communicate properly with one another.
Our communication isn't just the words we speak. It includes our tone of voice, facial and body gestures, the timing in which we present something and the spirit in which we speak our words.
It's amazing that scriptures instruct us that all areas of our lives could improve with just a simple tweak of our tongue.
The Proverbs tell us that positive remarks are "health to the bones."As a nurse I realize that our body's red blood cells are manufactured from our bone marrow, and the marrow also effects much of our immune system. The comment " health to our bones" makes me think about medical studies I have read that link the direct connection between stress and depression with an increased inflammation in the body. Inflammation is responsible for much illness. A few are arthritis, heart disease, and other auto immune responses. This is not the only reason for theses diseases but can be a contributing factor.
The writer of proverbs didn't have a microscope back then but had the brilliance to understand the same thing this modern medical study revealed. He links a healthy body to healthy communication. When we are stressed we oftentimes express ourselves in anger, frustration or bitterness and are impatient instead of a positive way of relating that can effect our body chemistry with a healthy response. I heard of a woman who stopped gossiping about others and was healed of an infection she had for years.
What comes out of our hearts and mouths effects our emotional and physical well-being. We could live healthy lives if we would be more careful with the way we communicate our feelings and opinions to others and use wisdom with our words.
• Annettee Budzban's book, "Spend a Moment with God," can be ordered through bookstores or online bookstores, or by calling (877) 289-2665.