Your Words Contain Power

Words and communication are the foundation to making connections with others. Words come in different languages, tones, and phrases. People use them to express their thoughts, feelings, and emotions with others. These can be used to describe people positively or negatively which can greatly impact those around you.

Flashback to a time when someone said something hurtful to you in grade school or just recently. Now think back to a time when someone said something positive to you in grade school or just recently. An example could be “hey you look really nice today, I love your outfit.” Or, “you are so weird I don’t know why anyone would want to be friends with you.” Which one is easier for you to remember? How did you feel in that moment? For most people the negative words that others speak over their life are the ones that people tend to remember the most.

Growing up as a child I often tend to remember the negative experiences and words that were often spoken. I did not grow up in a healthy family environment that spoke positively to one another. I am a victim of domestic violence and verbal abuse. I often was afraid throughout my childhood and scared of the words that were spoken over my life. This made me question my identity, worth, and who I was going to become. Hurtful words from what people describe as "loved one" or "biological family" tended to hit deeper in the heart. As I continued to grow older and deeper in my relationship with Christ my past experiences made me value the importance of speaking positively over others, about others, and the importance of not gossiping. Despite my experience, I am not in any way a perfect example of speaking positively over others as I am also found making mistakes just like every human.

Throughout the Bible, Jesus talked a lot about the words that we speak and how they hold power over people’s lives. Proverbs 16:24 states, "Kind words are like honey-sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." Proverbs 11:17 states, "Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel." Proverbs 18:4 states, "A person's words can be a source of wisdom, deep as the ocean, fresh as a flowing stream." These verses explain the importance and weight that our words can hold and impact other people's lives. How would Jesus talk to your neighbor or maybe the person that often gets on your nerves at work?

Maybe you've experienced something similar in your childhood experience or were bullied by others. Oftentimes, people who are hurting or experiencing something themselves use hurtful words to inflict pain on others hoping to decrease theirs themselves. Yes, this is not always the case but let's start asking ourselves this question when someone is rude at the gas station or the grocery store. What could have happened right before this, in that persons past, or even this morning that caused them to act out in this certain way?

Just like anything in life we are given a number of different things that we can do with our lives and fill our time with. In the same way, God gives us the choice and opportunity to choose our words and how we speak to one another. Your words contain power, meaning, and beauty. So what words will you choose to speak today?