Last time we were together we studied the verse prior to this one. And you remember that we considered what it meant that the eyes of the Lord are in every place. We talked about the omniscience of God and the fact that he is taking note of everything that goes on in our lives.
I do not think that it is merely coincidence that what we have in verse 4 follows. I believe the Holy Spirit constructed not just the concepts of Scripture, but also its structure.
I do not think that it is merely coincidence that what we have in verse 4 follows. I believe the Holy Spirit constructed not just the concepts of Scripture, but also its structure.
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Proverbs 15:4
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In other words, every thought—every word, was placed exactly where it needed to be.
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And there is a good point to take to heart here: After stating that God sees all, it is not a coincidence that the very next Scripture would deal with our speech.
This morning it is our goal to consider our speech and this area of personal communication. As it is an area that is scrutinized by the Lord, it is imperative that we think deeply about what we say and the way we say it.
Not only that, but this text seeks to remind us of the impact our speech can have upon others. This passage wants us to understand the potency of language so that we might be more circumspect in the way we talk.
You'll notice that in order to emphasize this, our proverb for this morning sets up a contrast between godly speech and ungodly speech. And in the first place we see that...
Godly speech has medicinal power
Notice the metaphor that is employed here. The tongue is likened to a “tree of life.” This is language that takes us back to the Garden of Eden.
You remember there that there were two trees. There was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which Adam and Eve were forbidden of. And there was also the tree of life. We don’t know much about the tree of life. It is only mentioned in Genesis 2 as being in the garden and nothing is said about it. Then in Genesis 3 we are told that God had to remove Adam & Eve from the garden after their sin, lest they partake of the fruit of the tree of life.
We do not hear of this tree of life again until the very end of the Bible. In the book of Revelation we see that the people of God are given the chance to eat from it.
So we don’t know much about this tree of life. But we can infer that this tree had some radical, life giving power. It was distinct among all the trees because it had the ability to nurture and promote life. It was designed to sustain life and maybe even restore it. It would seem that it had the power to imbue you with energy, renew the flesh, and maybe even have some sort of spiritual effects. It may have even done something to enrich the soul. After all, Adam and Eve had to be put out of the Garden. The reasons being is that the Lord was afraid that they would partake of the tree of life.
We don’t know that for sure. But we do know that it offered something that you couldn’t get in your average coconut. It had the power to refresh and rejuvenate.
But this imagery is used to describe the effects of godly speech. Godly speech has a rejuvenating power. It mends the soul, refreshes the ears, and it imparts some bit of physical restoration to people who are in need of it.
Think about that, godly speech has redemptive power. It actually can overturn some of the ill effects of the fall.
This is why the New Testament tells us to “let our speech be seasoned with salt.” Salt, in those days, was a preservative. It not only made things taste better, but it kept your food from spoiling. So when we are seasoning our speech with salt, we are working against the natural deterioration that sin causes.
And this speech is contrasted with the destructive power of ungodly speech.
Perverse Speech is destructive
You’ll notice that in the second half of the verse it talks about the tongue as well. And it says, “Perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” While godly speech has medicinal or redemptive power, ungodly speech has the power to destroy. It causes a fracture in our emotional estate and wounds us in our innermost being.
Perverse speech is any kind of speech that does not bear the traits of godly speech. The word perverse is one we often use in regards to sex. But the Hebrew word simply means “distorted.” In other words, it is a speech pattern that is ungodly and does not conform to the standard of love that is laid out in Scripture.
Such speech has a detrimental effect. As a matter of fact, there is a sense in which it has the ability to affect what might be regarded as the most resilient thing in the world; that being the human soul. We understand that our physical bodies are rather fragile. We know that when we trip and fall we will likely skin our knee or break a bone. That’s just the way our bodies were designed.
But when we were created God gave us an immortal soul. The soul, of course, is immaterial and eternal. It cannot be seen and it is designed to go on forever. So there is a sense in which the soul is much more hardy than the body. There is a durability that you expect from it that far exceeds our physical makeup.
But no matter how sturdy the soul is, it still can be wounded. Perverse speech can crush it cause immense damage.
One theologian once pointed out that the Garden of Eden was supposedly to have existed in what is modern day Iraq. But today Iraq is a land of complete desolation. A friend of mine said that he once visited that area and he was amazed at how fine the sand is there. He said it is incredibly soft because it has been blowing around for thousands of years.
And isn’t that a perfect picture of what perverse speech can do. The soul, which is to be lush and vibrant, can be broken and made to experience misery upon misery.
We are living in a day when almost 10% of the population has some sort of major depressive disorder. One in eight adolescents are reported to be clinically depressed.[1] This of course are only those most severe cases of a broken spirit, which receive medical attention. It does not include the lesser forms of depression and sadness that people experience on a daily basis.
Certainly there are other factors that contribute to these problems. But we can certainly say that perverse speech, i.e. speech that lacks tact, has a malicious intent, or is out of touch with biblical truth, no doubt contributes.
Years ago I read a book about a fellow who had been committed to a mental institution. If you cut through all the medical mumbo jumbo, he was, we would say, crazy. But one of the staff in that hospital had recently become a Christian. And he began to share the faith with this man who had been committed to the institution. And not only was this fellow converted, but all of his mental illness was cured. The problem was no so much that the man had any kind of chemical imbalance, but he had been raised in an evolutionary worldview and he had not been given any real remedy for the guilt of his sin. That was what was driving his insanity. Once he came to understand what the Scripture taught, all of this was healed.
Unfortunately, the faculty of the mental institution just thought he was even more crazy because he had begun to embrace these doctrines and talk about faith in Christ. But his life was now filled with joy and he had a clear mind about him.
But there you can see just how injurious perverse speech can be. And it reminds us just how important it is that our speech conform to the pattern laid out in Scripture and embody the truth of gospel.
Now I want to return to this idea of a gentle tongue. We’ve seen how important it is to have a gentle tongue. It is important to have it because it is a tree of life, that is, it mends. Whereas ungodly speech has a detrimental effect and destructive power, A gentle tongue is medicinal in nature. It is, as we may say, reparative speech.
I want us to return to the idea of the gentle tongue to examine it in a more thorough way. Because I believe that there are more lessons to learn here. I want you to see that this verse is very practical.
Reparative speech is, first of all, language that is polite and demonstrates basic courtesy.
You’ll notice that it talks about the gentle tongue. This is the way the ESV and a lot of other versions translate it. And I appreciate the fact that they do it this way. For it reminds us that if we talk like a gorilla that’s not going to be healthy for any situation.
If we are loud, demanding, if we interrupt people, and otherwise treat them like they are nothing more than tools for our satisfaction, then that doesn’t make for a good situation. That makes them irritated with you.
Perverse speech is speech that is rude. It is speech that is not just disrespectful, but lacking any kind of courtesy.
That’s why I appreciate the fact that they translate it this way, using the word gentle. Gentle speech is speech that is mild. It is tempered for the occasion and it is soothing to the ears. It reminds us that we need to be civil in our regular discourse and seen to engenders an overall peaceful demeanor among the people with whom we converse.
Think about sitting at the dinner table. Let’s say you loudly call out, “HEY! PASS ME THE SALT!” What affect will that have on the people around you? That might get you the salt, but they are only going to give it to you to shut you up. What are you doing there? You are using the people for your gratification, as if they are nothing more than the fork you use to shove a piece of meat in your mouth. They are just another instrument to you.
More than that, you’ve become an inconvenience to them. Asking them to pass the salt is already and inconvenience. When you ask for the salt you are intruding upon their dinner or their dinner conversation. They have to stop eating or chatting and help you out. And if you are impolite in the way you ask for it, you’ve made it more of an inconvenience by the way you’ve talked to them.
What you want to do is make the dinner as enjoyable as possible for everyone. You want to use speech that lessens that inconvenience and makes them happy to serve you.
And that’s why we use proper manners when we talk. That’s why we say please and thank you. That’s why we use common courtesies like waiting until we are finished chewing our food to talk to those at the table and holding our tongues until it is our turn to speak. That’s why we want you young people to address those who are older with proper titles.
There is a sense in which we improve the quality of life by using common courtesies in our speech—or, as we may say, by having a gentle tongue.
So, at its most basic level, we should understand that this is referring to exercising a polite etiquette in your ordinary, everyday conversations. But it is also important to understand that...
Reparative speech is demonstrated in speech that is complimentary.
The word that the ESV translates “gentle” can also be translated “wholesome” or “healing.” It is a healing tongue or a language that brings healing through wholesome language. And when we look at the New Testament we find that a wholesome tongue is one that offers compliments and encouragements.
In the book of Ephesians Paul tells us that we are not to let any unwholesome speech come out of our mouths. In other words, do not let there be any perversity in your speech.
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, “but only that which is useful for building up, that it may give grace to those who here.”
Paul drew on what this proverb teaches. Your speech should build up. Sin brings one down; it fills the world with misery. But a Christian can have a positive influence. He can offer speech that builds up. In so doing, he restores people’s dignity where it had been lost, they mend consciences by offering forgiveness, they brighten souls with friendly greetings and conversation, and above all, they teach. Their conversation revolves around the most positive thing in the world: the gospel.
In sum, our speech is to have resurrecting power because it is the embodiment of the good news.
And you know, this is something that has come to be proven scientifically in recent years. It doesn’t take a lot of science to know that when you are complimented or encouraged, you experience an increase in positive emotions, like happiness, gratitude, optimism, joy. But it has been proven that those who experience these kinds of emotions are typically healthier people.[2] Their immune system is stronger and can fight off disease better. It is proven to cause your brain to function faster and better. Your pre-frontal cortex is supposed to have enhanced cognitive activity when your emotions are on the up-tick. Not only that, but your wallet gets healthier too. We are told that you perform better in the workplace and have better relationships with your co-workers when you are cheerie, which typically translates into promotions and a wider clientele.
So, when you tell someone that you appreciate some certain thing that they have done, you give them a little mental boost. The same thing happens when encourage someone or give them a compliment them on the work they are doing. And when you make that a significant part of your lifestyle, you become an incubator of life.
Our aim then is to be people whose speech is courteous and complimentary. But this verse also reminds us that our speech should be conciliatory.
Reparative speech is demonstrated in conciliatory speech
This, I believe, is the primary meaning of this passage. The healing tongue (or the gentle tongue) is the kind of speech that heals broken relationships. It is one that brings reconciliation between parties that have been put at odds with one another.
The New Testament would call this the peacemaker. One of the Beattitudes is, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” When we read that, we may sometimes think that being a peacemaker is bringing about silence. That’s peace, right? You mothers, when the kids are squawking at one another and squabbling back and forth, you can only take so much. At some point, after the continual fighting, you come in and put your foot down. You put one child in this room and another child in this room for a time out. Then finally you have a few moments of peace, right?
This is not the biblical idea of peacemaking though. What goes on in the Middle East with all the peace talks is not typically the embodiment of biblical peacemaking. Usually the two sides will agree to a ceasefire. They will stop shooting missiles at one another for a time, but there is still not peace between them. There is still all kinds of animosity and it is not long until guns start rattling off again.
Biblical peacemaking is not the silencing of the two parties. It is not keeping the two separated. Biblical peacemaking is bringing the two together. It is the work of removing all enmity so that the two parties will actually enjoy one another’s company.
This is the sum and substance of the gospel. The gospel is the greatest form of healing and this is why we put so much stock in the preaching of the gospel. By the gospel we have peace with God. The enmity that exists between God and us is removed when we turn to Christ. God no longer is angry with us and provoked by us. But because of the death and resurrection of Christ, the anger God feels towards us is removed. The life of sin that we were living becomes a thing of the past.
And when we become mediators we emulate the life giving power of the gospel. We bring the two together so that they may enjoy one another and tap into the mutual gifts and graces that the other possesses. There is a richness of life that becomes suddenly available.
A while back I came across a confession of a man whose marriage was on the brink. He and his wife had lived for years in an embattled state. The only kind of meaningful conversation that they had was a fight. That’s why they did their best not to talk to one another. Each of them was ready to give up on the marriage. But one day the man decided to take a different approach. Instead of trying to get her to do what he wanted her to do he decided he would ask his wife what he could do for her. When he posed the question, it startled her. She thought he was up to something. She thought this was some new manipulation to trick her. But she realized that there was some hint of truth to it. So she said, “You can take out the trash and pick up the dry cleaning this afternoon.” And that’s what he did.
The next day he offered the same proposition. He asked her what he could do for her. And he continued to do this into the following weeks. Over time the relationship began to improve.
In sum, their relationship was healed because his speech patterns changed. Instead of speaking in a perverse way--a way that was destructive and self centered--he began to speaking in a way that is more in accord with the gospel. And by his gospel oriented speech the Lord brought new life to his marriage.
____________________
[1] http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=education_statistics_depression
[2] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/compliments-activate-same-part-your-brain-does-receiving-singh
This morning it is our goal to consider our speech and this area of personal communication. As it is an area that is scrutinized by the Lord, it is imperative that we think deeply about what we say and the way we say it.
Not only that, but this text seeks to remind us of the impact our speech can have upon others. This passage wants us to understand the potency of language so that we might be more circumspect in the way we talk.
You'll notice that in order to emphasize this, our proverb for this morning sets up a contrast between godly speech and ungodly speech. And in the first place we see that...
Godly speech has medicinal power
Notice the metaphor that is employed here. The tongue is likened to a “tree of life.” This is language that takes us back to the Garden of Eden.
You remember there that there were two trees. There was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which Adam and Eve were forbidden of. And there was also the tree of life. We don’t know much about the tree of life. It is only mentioned in Genesis 2 as being in the garden and nothing is said about it. Then in Genesis 3 we are told that God had to remove Adam & Eve from the garden after their sin, lest they partake of the fruit of the tree of life.
We do not hear of this tree of life again until the very end of the Bible. In the book of Revelation we see that the people of God are given the chance to eat from it.
So we don’t know much about this tree of life. But we can infer that this tree had some radical, life giving power. It was distinct among all the trees because it had the ability to nurture and promote life. It was designed to sustain life and maybe even restore it. It would seem that it had the power to imbue you with energy, renew the flesh, and maybe even have some sort of spiritual effects. It may have even done something to enrich the soul. After all, Adam and Eve had to be put out of the Garden. The reasons being is that the Lord was afraid that they would partake of the tree of life.
We don’t know that for sure. But we do know that it offered something that you couldn’t get in your average coconut. It had the power to refresh and rejuvenate.
But this imagery is used to describe the effects of godly speech. Godly speech has a rejuvenating power. It mends the soul, refreshes the ears, and it imparts some bit of physical restoration to people who are in need of it.
Think about that, godly speech has redemptive power. It actually can overturn some of the ill effects of the fall.
This is why the New Testament tells us to “let our speech be seasoned with salt.” Salt, in those days, was a preservative. It not only made things taste better, but it kept your food from spoiling. So when we are seasoning our speech with salt, we are working against the natural deterioration that sin causes.
And this speech is contrasted with the destructive power of ungodly speech.
Perverse Speech is destructive
You’ll notice that in the second half of the verse it talks about the tongue as well. And it says, “Perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” While godly speech has medicinal or redemptive power, ungodly speech has the power to destroy. It causes a fracture in our emotional estate and wounds us in our innermost being.
Perverse speech is any kind of speech that does not bear the traits of godly speech. The word perverse is one we often use in regards to sex. But the Hebrew word simply means “distorted.” In other words, it is a speech pattern that is ungodly and does not conform to the standard of love that is laid out in Scripture.
Such speech has a detrimental effect. As a matter of fact, there is a sense in which it has the ability to affect what might be regarded as the most resilient thing in the world; that being the human soul. We understand that our physical bodies are rather fragile. We know that when we trip and fall we will likely skin our knee or break a bone. That’s just the way our bodies were designed.
But when we were created God gave us an immortal soul. The soul, of course, is immaterial and eternal. It cannot be seen and it is designed to go on forever. So there is a sense in which the soul is much more hardy than the body. There is a durability that you expect from it that far exceeds our physical makeup.
But no matter how sturdy the soul is, it still can be wounded. Perverse speech can crush it cause immense damage.
One theologian once pointed out that the Garden of Eden was supposedly to have existed in what is modern day Iraq. But today Iraq is a land of complete desolation. A friend of mine said that he once visited that area and he was amazed at how fine the sand is there. He said it is incredibly soft because it has been blowing around for thousands of years.
And isn’t that a perfect picture of what perverse speech can do. The soul, which is to be lush and vibrant, can be broken and made to experience misery upon misery.
We are living in a day when almost 10% of the population has some sort of major depressive disorder. One in eight adolescents are reported to be clinically depressed.[1] This of course are only those most severe cases of a broken spirit, which receive medical attention. It does not include the lesser forms of depression and sadness that people experience on a daily basis.
Certainly there are other factors that contribute to these problems. But we can certainly say that perverse speech, i.e. speech that lacks tact, has a malicious intent, or is out of touch with biblical truth, no doubt contributes.
Years ago I read a book about a fellow who had been committed to a mental institution. If you cut through all the medical mumbo jumbo, he was, we would say, crazy. But one of the staff in that hospital had recently become a Christian. And he began to share the faith with this man who had been committed to the institution. And not only was this fellow converted, but all of his mental illness was cured. The problem was no so much that the man had any kind of chemical imbalance, but he had been raised in an evolutionary worldview and he had not been given any real remedy for the guilt of his sin. That was what was driving his insanity. Once he came to understand what the Scripture taught, all of this was healed.
Unfortunately, the faculty of the mental institution just thought he was even more crazy because he had begun to embrace these doctrines and talk about faith in Christ. But his life was now filled with joy and he had a clear mind about him.
But there you can see just how injurious perverse speech can be. And it reminds us just how important it is that our speech conform to the pattern laid out in Scripture and embody the truth of gospel.
Now I want to return to this idea of a gentle tongue. We’ve seen how important it is to have a gentle tongue. It is important to have it because it is a tree of life, that is, it mends. Whereas ungodly speech has a detrimental effect and destructive power, A gentle tongue is medicinal in nature. It is, as we may say, reparative speech.
I want us to return to the idea of the gentle tongue to examine it in a more thorough way. Because I believe that there are more lessons to learn here. I want you to see that this verse is very practical.
Reparative speech is, first of all, language that is polite and demonstrates basic courtesy.
You’ll notice that it talks about the gentle tongue. This is the way the ESV and a lot of other versions translate it. And I appreciate the fact that they do it this way. For it reminds us that if we talk like a gorilla that’s not going to be healthy for any situation.
If we are loud, demanding, if we interrupt people, and otherwise treat them like they are nothing more than tools for our satisfaction, then that doesn’t make for a good situation. That makes them irritated with you.
Perverse speech is speech that is rude. It is speech that is not just disrespectful, but lacking any kind of courtesy.
That’s why I appreciate the fact that they translate it this way, using the word gentle. Gentle speech is speech that is mild. It is tempered for the occasion and it is soothing to the ears. It reminds us that we need to be civil in our regular discourse and seen to engenders an overall peaceful demeanor among the people with whom we converse.
Think about sitting at the dinner table. Let’s say you loudly call out, “HEY! PASS ME THE SALT!” What affect will that have on the people around you? That might get you the salt, but they are only going to give it to you to shut you up. What are you doing there? You are using the people for your gratification, as if they are nothing more than the fork you use to shove a piece of meat in your mouth. They are just another instrument to you.
More than that, you’ve become an inconvenience to them. Asking them to pass the salt is already and inconvenience. When you ask for the salt you are intruding upon their dinner or their dinner conversation. They have to stop eating or chatting and help you out. And if you are impolite in the way you ask for it, you’ve made it more of an inconvenience by the way you’ve talked to them.
What you want to do is make the dinner as enjoyable as possible for everyone. You want to use speech that lessens that inconvenience and makes them happy to serve you.
And that’s why we use proper manners when we talk. That’s why we say please and thank you. That’s why we use common courtesies like waiting until we are finished chewing our food to talk to those at the table and holding our tongues until it is our turn to speak. That’s why we want you young people to address those who are older with proper titles.
There is a sense in which we improve the quality of life by using common courtesies in our speech—or, as we may say, by having a gentle tongue.
So, at its most basic level, we should understand that this is referring to exercising a polite etiquette in your ordinary, everyday conversations. But it is also important to understand that...
Reparative speech is demonstrated in speech that is complimentary.
The word that the ESV translates “gentle” can also be translated “wholesome” or “healing.” It is a healing tongue or a language that brings healing through wholesome language. And when we look at the New Testament we find that a wholesome tongue is one that offers compliments and encouragements.
In the book of Ephesians Paul tells us that we are not to let any unwholesome speech come out of our mouths. In other words, do not let there be any perversity in your speech.
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, “but only that which is useful for building up, that it may give grace to those who here.”
Paul drew on what this proverb teaches. Your speech should build up. Sin brings one down; it fills the world with misery. But a Christian can have a positive influence. He can offer speech that builds up. In so doing, he restores people’s dignity where it had been lost, they mend consciences by offering forgiveness, they brighten souls with friendly greetings and conversation, and above all, they teach. Their conversation revolves around the most positive thing in the world: the gospel.
In sum, our speech is to have resurrecting power because it is the embodiment of the good news.
And you know, this is something that has come to be proven scientifically in recent years. It doesn’t take a lot of science to know that when you are complimented or encouraged, you experience an increase in positive emotions, like happiness, gratitude, optimism, joy. But it has been proven that those who experience these kinds of emotions are typically healthier people.[2] Their immune system is stronger and can fight off disease better. It is proven to cause your brain to function faster and better. Your pre-frontal cortex is supposed to have enhanced cognitive activity when your emotions are on the up-tick. Not only that, but your wallet gets healthier too. We are told that you perform better in the workplace and have better relationships with your co-workers when you are cheerie, which typically translates into promotions and a wider clientele.
So, when you tell someone that you appreciate some certain thing that they have done, you give them a little mental boost. The same thing happens when encourage someone or give them a compliment them on the work they are doing. And when you make that a significant part of your lifestyle, you become an incubator of life.
Our aim then is to be people whose speech is courteous and complimentary. But this verse also reminds us that our speech should be conciliatory.
Reparative speech is demonstrated in conciliatory speech
This, I believe, is the primary meaning of this passage. The healing tongue (or the gentle tongue) is the kind of speech that heals broken relationships. It is one that brings reconciliation between parties that have been put at odds with one another.
The New Testament would call this the peacemaker. One of the Beattitudes is, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” When we read that, we may sometimes think that being a peacemaker is bringing about silence. That’s peace, right? You mothers, when the kids are squawking at one another and squabbling back and forth, you can only take so much. At some point, after the continual fighting, you come in and put your foot down. You put one child in this room and another child in this room for a time out. Then finally you have a few moments of peace, right?
This is not the biblical idea of peacemaking though. What goes on in the Middle East with all the peace talks is not typically the embodiment of biblical peacemaking. Usually the two sides will agree to a ceasefire. They will stop shooting missiles at one another for a time, but there is still not peace between them. There is still all kinds of animosity and it is not long until guns start rattling off again.
Biblical peacemaking is not the silencing of the two parties. It is not keeping the two separated. Biblical peacemaking is bringing the two together. It is the work of removing all enmity so that the two parties will actually enjoy one another’s company.
This is the sum and substance of the gospel. The gospel is the greatest form of healing and this is why we put so much stock in the preaching of the gospel. By the gospel we have peace with God. The enmity that exists between God and us is removed when we turn to Christ. God no longer is angry with us and provoked by us. But because of the death and resurrection of Christ, the anger God feels towards us is removed. The life of sin that we were living becomes a thing of the past.
And when we become mediators we emulate the life giving power of the gospel. We bring the two together so that they may enjoy one another and tap into the mutual gifts and graces that the other possesses. There is a richness of life that becomes suddenly available.
A while back I came across a confession of a man whose marriage was on the brink. He and his wife had lived for years in an embattled state. The only kind of meaningful conversation that they had was a fight. That’s why they did their best not to talk to one another. Each of them was ready to give up on the marriage. But one day the man decided to take a different approach. Instead of trying to get her to do what he wanted her to do he decided he would ask his wife what he could do for her. When he posed the question, it startled her. She thought he was up to something. She thought this was some new manipulation to trick her. But she realized that there was some hint of truth to it. So she said, “You can take out the trash and pick up the dry cleaning this afternoon.” And that’s what he did.
The next day he offered the same proposition. He asked her what he could do for her. And he continued to do this into the following weeks. Over time the relationship began to improve.
In sum, their relationship was healed because his speech patterns changed. Instead of speaking in a perverse way--a way that was destructive and self centered--he began to speaking in a way that is more in accord with the gospel. And by his gospel oriented speech the Lord brought new life to his marriage.
____________________
[1] http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=education_statistics_depression
[2] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/compliments-activate-same-part-your-brain-does-receiving-singh