Proverbs 12:24-25 (ESV)
24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
while the slothful will be put to forced labor.
25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down,
but a good word makes him glad.
The woman who works hard and gives careful attention to her responsibilities will eventually rise to positions of influence. The Hebrew word translated “diligent,” charuts, refers to conscientiousness in paying proper attention to a task. It describes someone proven responsible and dependable. God often entrusts leadership to those who have first proven faithful in ordinary work. Faithfulness in small things usually comes long before influence in greater things.
In contrast, the slothful person lacks self motivation and discipline. She fails to manage her time and energy wisely and avoids responsibilities whenever possible. Solomon says she will be “put to forced labor.” Ironically, the one who hates working often ends up with more exhausting and burdensome work in the end. Laziness does not produce freedom. It leads to frustration and dependence upon others.
Verse 25 shifts from outward to inward burdens. The Hebrew word translated as “anxiety” is deagah, referring to worry, emotional distress, or the heavy anticipation of trouble. Anxiety weighs down the heart like a crushing burden and causes the soul to sink down under uncertainty. Fear leads to anxiety, and anxiety often creates an unnecessary weight that drains joy and tempts a person to give up altogether.
But Solomon also gives a remedy. “A good word makes him glad.” Jesus warned his disciples about the crippling effects of anxiety and comforted them by reminding them that their heavenly Father knows their needs and faithfully cares for them. “If God so clothes the grass of the field… will he not much more clothe you?” (Matthew 6:30). Encouragement has the power to lift what anxiety has pressed down. The Old French root behind the word encourage literally means “to add courage.” A timely word of kindness, truth, comfort, or reassurance can breathe fresh hope into a weary soul. Wise words lighten burdens instead of adding to them. They steady the discouraged, strengthen the weak, and refresh hearts worn thin by fear of the future.
Consider the effect your words have on others. If you are married, does your husband hear constant disappointment and criticism, or does he hear words that strengthen his heart and give him courage to keep going? What about your children? Do your words leave them feeling as though they will never measure up, constantly compared to others and crushed beneath impossible standards, or do you point them to the freedom and security found in Christ? In a world already bowed low beneath anxiety and discouragement, Christians should be the people most eager to lift burdens with gracious and truthful words. Ask God to make you the kind of woman whose presence steadies fearful hearts and whose words leave people more hopeful because they spent time with you.