Words

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but WORDS can never hurt me.”

What a total lie!  Whoever made up this childhood rhyme, was running from the truth.

Each year, as I teach middle schoolers, I spend dedicated time trying to replace this old saying with the truth.  It is a harsh time of life, when they have little control over what goes on in their world, but the words they speak can be powerful tools.  Sadly, most of what I hear in passing through the halls of the school is negativity and sometimes bullying.  Teenagers subconsciously learn the art of manipulation, as their words are carelessly thrown around in effort to steer their way.

Just as your words can manipulate and hurt, they can also be used to sooth or calm someone using the right choice, in the proper time.

You know when someone gives you that compliment that you never expected?   It can carry you for a week!  On the other hand, someone says something harsh about you, and you are swallowed by sadness, defense or anger.  Feelings well up inside when we reflect on the words spoken about our appearance, abilities, or character.

To borrow a phrase from Joyce Meyer, “Words are containers of power.”

Proverbs 18:21 says that “the power of life and death is in the tongue,” and that you will eat the fruit of your words.

The Message translates this verse to say, “Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.”

I don’t know about you, but I when I eat, I like it to be “tasty”!  I am rarely craving something bitter, rotten or stinky.  But, that’s exactly what we find on our plate when we dish out harsh words.

Rather, we should let our words be a gift to others.  Follow the old saying, “if you don’t have something good to say, don’t say anything at all.”  Very hard to do when we are certain that our opinion must be voiced.

We often speak whatever comes to mind, not weighing the potential power we are about to release.  After all, if it comes out of our mouth, it MUST be true.  Right?

What a great reason NOT to speak poorly of oneself…

“I can’t do that,” or “I’m not smart enough.”  How about, “I wish I weren’t so ___________.”  (fill in the blank).  We not only use words that can be hurtful to others, but most often, defeat ourselves before we have had a chance to succeed. 

We need to speak positively about ourselves.   OUT LOUD!  You heard me, say it out loud.  Words contain power; life and death kind of power.

Don’t quiet believe me?  Why then, when God created the earth, is it recorded in Genesis that God “spoke” the world into being.  Each of the 7 days of creation, it is recorded that God said, for example, “Let there be light”.

Think about it, He is so powerful that He could have just “thought” about the light and it would exist.  No one else was even around to hear Him, but still He said it out loud.  He clearly gave power to the spoken word by using it for creation.

Before you release the power of the spoken word, think, reflect, and weigh the value of what you have to say.  Will it bring life or death?  Will you build, or destroy?

And remember, you’re going to get a hot, heaping helping of it to chow down on!  Make it good!!