The Christian Working Woman - Think! – 3

Have you inspired anyone lately? You may not think about it in those terms, but each day we have opportunities to inspire people. To inspire them to be kind, to inspire them to be encouraged—and on and on. And usually that inspiration comes through the words we speak. We’re talking about how to think before we speak, so when we speak, we say the right things in the right way. And to help you think before you speak, we have some wristbands that say, “Think.” We’ll be glad to send you one of these to help you remember to think before you speak. The Bible has lots to say about guarding our words carefully, and this wristband reminder may help you do that. We’re looking at an acrostic of the word think, which can help us determine whether we should say what we’re just getting ready to say. T means true, make sure it’s true. H means helpful, make sure it will benefit those who listen. And now: I is for inspiring: Will your words inspire the person who hears them in some way, even if it’s very small? If not, maybe you don’t need to say them. Now I need to make it clear I’m talking about inspiring someone for good purposes, because it’s possible to inspire someone to do something wrong. But how wonderful it is when someone speaks inspiring words to us. I remember a day when I particularly needed some encouragement, out of the clear blue a friend simply said something that inspired me. It gave me the encouragement I needed at that moment to keep on keepin’ on, as we say. I often try to remember to say anything nice I think, whether it’s a compliment on someone’s outfit or a word of appreciation for their help. If you’re thinking something nice about someone, then why not express it in words and then you speak words of inspiration. If we think before we speak, we will not only be careful not to say things we should not say, but it will remind us to say those inspiring things that we often think but don’t say. Remember, your words have power; use that power wisely to inspire others. They will come back to you in a wonderful way.