Have you ever had to have a difficult conversation with someone? How do you approach it? Do you say whatever comes to mind, or do you take time to pause and ponder what and how to say?
Sometimes I find myself needing to have difficult conversations, that I do not enjoy. I’m learning not to just say what comes to mind first.
There’s a passage of scripture in Matthew 12:34b that says ‘for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks’ and another one in Proverbs 16:24 that says ‘Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones’
I’ve come to love the story of Esther in the Bible. She had a very important request of the king, her husband, and instead of blurting it out, she asked for wisdom and grace for the request. She invited the king to dinner twice, before she made her petition.
There’s something incredibly beautiful about knowing when to speak and how to speak. Sometimes we need to pause and seek whether it’s the right time. Will what we say come from a place of anger and hurt or a place that is calm and willing to listen? If it’s from the former, I’d suggest to pause until we’re willing to truly listen.
My prayer for myself is that I will come from a place of wisdom and grace as I have difficult conversations. Wisdom in knowing what to say: when and how, and grace: being able to extend the same grace that I would want extended to me.
Dear Heavenly Father, help me to speak words that are life giving and serve to encourage and uplift others. Help me to be mindful when my heart is not ready to speak. Help me to hold my tongue and exercise wisdom and grace in my speech and actions.
