Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a good and timely word can bring real encouragement.
In Proverbs 12:25, Solomon writes, Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad (v. 25). This proverb captures a profoundly human reality: inward anxiety is heavy. It presses down on the heart and burdens the whole person.
To say anxiety weighs it down is to acknowledge its exhausting effect. Worry drains strength, narrows perspective, and can make the soul feel bent beneath a load. Proverbs does not dismiss this burden; it names it honestly.
But a good word makes it glad. Wise, timely, gracious speech can lighten a burdened heart. This does not make every problem disappear, but it reminds us of the life-giving power of encouragement. Words shaped by wisdom can become an instrument of God’s comfort in another person’s distress.
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Proverbs 12:25 meaning
In Proverbs 12:25, Solomon writes, Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad (v. 25). This proverb captures a profoundly human reality: inward anxiety is heavy. It presses down on the heart and burdens the whole person.
To say anxiety weighs it down is to acknowledge its exhausting effect. Worry drains strength, narrows perspective, and can make the soul feel bent beneath a load. Proverbs does not dismiss this burden; it names it honestly.
But a good word makes it glad. Wise, timely, gracious speech can lighten a burdened heart. This does not make every problem disappear, but it reminds us of the life-giving power of encouragement. Words shaped by wisdom can become an instrument of God’s comfort in another person’s distress.