A pleasant aroma

From Proverbs 12:
"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."
"Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment."
"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up."

I have a quick wit and a gift for sarcasm. I have often been proud of this, but lately I've been spending a little more time wondering what the real benefits of that are. Don't get me wrong, I love to laugh. I love to make people laugh. Laughter is absolutely a gift from the Lord. But there is more to life than having the last word, and sometimes I struggle with that.

Coming into this year (and actually for quite a while now), it's been a goal of mine to talk a little less and listen a little more. I'd like to learn to ask questions and to really hear what people say. I'd like for the words that come out of my mouth to be choice words of healing, truth, and kindness. I fear that if you graphed out the words I speak in a year, the vast majority would be spent either talking about myself or aiming low to get a laugh. I've always struggled with giving genuine compliments and heartfelt thanks. We all know people who are just an encouragement to be around, the type of people who walk away and leave you feeling blessed, those people who are "the fragrance of life" (2 Corinthians 2:16). I'd like to be one of them.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29