How the gospel can help you speak in a positive, constructive way.
Words are powerful. They sink deep into our minds and our spirits. They can build others up or put others down. Many of us want to “say the right thing” and make a difference to others with our words, but we don't know how to. Others of us struggle to control our speech and want help to be more godly in this area of our lives.
This positive, constructive book delves into the Bible to show us how to overcome specific temptations, such as gossip or angry words. But it also goes much further. It shows us how we can use our speech to bring beauty, hope, truth, and comfort into the lives of those around us—and to give glory to God.
Full of gracious words and practical help, this book will help readers to find out how to let the gospel shape their speech and enjoy the blessings that flow from this.
1. How to Avoid That Sinking Feeling: Speaking Wisdom
2. Build the Body: Speaking Truth
3. A Cello in the Dark: Speaking Beauty
4. From the Father of Compassion: Speaking Comfort
5. Somebody’s Daughter: Speaking Kindness
6. A Place in the Kingdom: Speaking Hope
7. Echoes of Jesus: Speaking Praise
| Contributors | Carolyn Lacey |
|---|---|
| ISBN | 9781784988692 |
| Format | Paperback |
| First published | March 2023 |
| Dimensions | 5.1" x 7.8" x 0.5" |
| Case quantity | 50 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 128 |
| Publisher | The Good Book Company |
Carolyn Lacey prioritizes the goodness we see in God’s word and in God himself, and then she helps us to ponder how our own words might reflect that goodness in all kinds of situations. If you struggle with what to say or how to say it, this book will strengthen you!
In this inspiring book, Carolyn Lacey helps us to appreciate just how important words are—helping us to see how our words can become channels of blessing into the lives of others. It is not just a matter of avoiding toxic words.
Rooted in Scripture and grounded in real life, this is an accessible, engaging resource, packed full of wisdom.
Carolyn Lacey begins this book by acknowledging how often we all, herself included, struggle to say the right thing. She reflects that when she was growing up in church, teachings about the tongue tended to focus on what you shouldn't say, without also training people to use their words in positive ways. This book provides a different perspective, focusing on different categories of speech that Christians can use to glorify God and build others up.
"Say the Right Thing" is short and highly readable. The chapters focus on the importance of wisdom, truth, beauty, comfort, kindness, hope, and praise in our speech, and Lacey shares stories and examples from the Bible and from modern life. She also includes direct examples of how people can use their speech to help and encourage others, and the chapter about offering comfort is particularly helpful, suggesting ways that Christians can connect with grieving and suffering people without relying on platitudes. Each chapter concludes with reflection questions that are appropriate for both individual processing and group discussion.
"Say the Right Thing" is a short, helpful book for Christians who want to use words in positive, restorative ways, although I wish it had gone deeper. A single book can't possibly address every topic or situation regarding communication, but I wish that Lacey had included more principles about how to deal with high-stakes conversations, since people's attempts at wise communication most often fall apart when they're dealing with relational tensions, intense emotions, and difficult issues. Lacey doesn't ignore this reality, but her treatment of it is fairly surface-level. This book is mainly about blessing and encouraging others, which is good, but I wish that it had gone further and deeper.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to read through this book as I'm confident every single person, whether a believer or not, has fallen prey to the danger of our words. Lacey does a wonderful job revealing the scriptural evidence of God's power in helping us control our tongue.
The book begins simply with referencing Psalm 19:14 - a short prayer to utilize every day in order to use our words to the glory of God.
Lacey structures the book with seven chapters, each discussing a specific characteristic of how we should speak according to scripture:
- Wisdom, Truth, Beauty, Comfort, Kindness, Hope, Praise
Each chapter begins with a scripture reference supporting the specific characteristic and also concludes with a reflection question section. The reflection questions are particularly encouraging and convicting as they force the reader to ponder their current application of speaking words that glorify God.
Lacey dives into scripture by recounting specific people and their failure or victory with their words. She also is open, honest, and raw with personal experiences. She admits within the first chapter that these characteristics are not easy to come by but are well worth the journey.
I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company in exchange for an honest review.
