Great families are built on the foundation of encouraging words. What kind of words do you speak in your home? Do you speak words that build up or tear down, words that bring life or death, critical words, or encouraging words? Proverbs 12:18 says, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Our children get beat up enough at school. We get beat up enough at work due to discouraging words of others. The world is not kind. It is filled with a barrage of critical words. Home is the place where we come to be built up, lifted up, and encouraged. I love the old song, “Home on the Range.” “Home, home on the range, where the deer and the antelope play. Where seldom is hear a discouraging word, and the skies are not cloudy all day.” Home is where you should seldom hear discouraging words. There was a little boy trying out for the school play, and his mother was worried he would not make it. On the day the parts were awarded after school, he ran to the car excited and said, “Mom, I made it!” She asked what his part was, and he said, “I have been chosen to clap and cheer.” Moms, dads, husbands, and wives, God has chosen you to clap and cheer for one another. Be someone’s cheerleader today.
– Dr. Tim Thompson