Watch Your Words

Proverbs 16:24 "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones."

I was told a funny story of a brand new state of the art music center at a major city here in the States.  Apparently this fancy opera house had an orchestra pit that could be raised and lowered by powerful lifts.  These lifts worked on a wireless system and would go into affect with the push of a button.  I don't know all the technical details, but the fact that this system somehow works using sound waves, caused a bit of a problem on opening night.  At some point in the evenings performance a woman with a beautiful and powerful operatic voice, hit a certain note or pitch, that caused the lifts for the orchestra pit to spring into action.   The orchestra was lifted into plain view, but not long after, the singer hit the same note and the orchestra slowly vanished.  This happened a number of times during her singing, and soon the serious song became a comedy act.  Laughter and applause followed every disappearance and reappearance of the orchestra.  What a great picture, this woman with the power of her voice was able to lift up, and to bring down.  The Bible teaches us, and warns us, that our voices have that very same power.  The words we use can encourage or discourage, can bring joy, or dejection, can carry up, or carry down.  Keep the picture of the orchestra pit in your mind as you speak.  When speaking of someone, or to someone, are your words lifting up, or bringing down?