As you read through the Proverbs, I urge you to reflect, pray, and apply these devotional bits of encouragement and wisdom to your own life.
Gracious Words.
There are some people you encounter in life that are truly gracious. Some of the first words that come to mind to describe them are “they are amazingly gracious people.” Sadly, you don’t meet many of them in a lifetime. But we should. And more importantly, we should be one of them. Could you be more gracious? Of course you could…and so could I. Regardless of where we are on the gracious meter, now is a great time to grow our gracious quotient. You might want to look up the definition and write out a personal growth plan. How about doing a Bible study on what it means and how it played out in Jesus’ life? Gracious living is life-giving. It brings healing to you and those around you. This is profound to think about and even more vital to practice. Remember, most of us have a ways to go to be like the incredibly gracious people I spoke of earlier, but we can all grow. We must. People around us need us to step up, and God is counting on us to be a blessing to others more than ever before. What if you made an intentional effort to become just 1% more gracious today? And then 1% more tomorrow? If you keep that up for a month or a year you would change the course of your impact for good. Spend some time thinking and praying about what this means in your life. Ask God to help you become more intentional about becoming life-giving and gracious. Purpose to be more gracious today and each day. If you do, your marriage will grow, your kids will be blessed, your friendships and relationships will be enhanced, and most importantly, God will be honored.
“The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction. Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” – Proverbs 16:23-24