Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24 NIV

What’s your feeling about endearments? The words that fall effortlessly in conversation in place of a name… Some of them have fallen out of favour in recent times due to misinterpretation and this is understandable! Do they diminish a person or show genuine affection? 

Generational Fondness

I’m fairly careful when using endearments  — this is likely a generational thing. “Dorothy” who is over 90 and on the welcome team at church greets everyone with a resounding “Darling” or “Angel.”  You can almost hear the capital letters as you are embraced in the swathe of rounded vowels and Chanel. You are Darling and there’s no escape! 

In the UK the endearments tend to have a regional user-base. In the middle of the country someone might be ‘My Duck’, in the North East of England, you will regularly be referred to as ‘Pet’ and in the South West, ‘My Lover’ – and let me be clear, this is in no way a reference to an actual relationship! 

One of the more universally used terms of endearment is “Honey”, often shortened to ‘Hun’ and I must confess that Auntie Kath — my mum’s friend from across the street would call me “Unnie” and for decades, I had zero clues that this was a sweet term with its origin in the honeycomb.

Scriptural Origins

I love how this term of endearment has its roots here in the scriptures.  We all need a little sweetness in our life. All around us there is bitterness and harsh words, there are toxic voices and sharp edges that poison and cut us, we need a little honey. We need that natural sweetness which is also an agent to combat the effects of any lingering infection of the wounds from the world.

“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

“Oh Honey!” Let the sweet words that flow from our faith be a blessing to one another, bringing healing and soothing the souls of those whom we meet. 

“Oh Honey!” Receive the words of grace and healing for your soul and the core of your bones — let the sweetness of Jesus’ presence revive and restore you.

What little phrases punctuate your conversations? How do you find your soul sweetened and the fabric of your body healed from the stings and arrows of the world’s effects?