A friend writes: “My father did some pretty nasty things to me. But at the end of his life, as I kneeled by his bedside, I told him how thankful I was for every good thing he had done and every way he had blessed me, and there were many. We were good friends when he passed away.”

One of the greatest regrets you can avoid at the end of your life is the failure to praise others when they deserved it, and even when they didn’t.

But why is it that affirming words are so pitifully rare in our conversations, especially when so many people are anxious, discouraged, and depressed by all the negativity in this life?

We’re living in a world that’s constantly knocking us down, from cradle to grave.

Is it any wonder that anxiety and depression are rampant at every age level?

But notice the advice that Solomon gives: a good word makes the heart glad.

We should take this to heart.

A compliment or blessing can be one of the greatest motivators and can be truly life-changing. And every one of us needs this kind of encouragement to run the race of this life.

Let’s be people of encouragement, looking for the word which will lift another person up and bring healing and hope to her soul.

A good word will also do wonders for our own hearts.

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad. Proverbs 12:25

–by George Whitten