"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver" (Proverbs 25:11).

Saying the right thing at the right time and in just the right way can be inspiring and helpful. But this is not what we hear or say every day. The Bible warns of the opposite extreme:

"Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell... But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:5-6, 8).

Let's strive to speak the helpful, encouraging words!