Your words hold power

Through all my life I've been a chatter box whether at school or at home; even as a young kid as I developed, I started to evaluate how using certain words or phrases would affect my parents or siblings reactions. Like when I knew I did something I shouldn't, I buttered them up with some kind words saying "you're the best" or something along those lines. Even then as a young child, I knew the affect my words had on people; as a young little girl I said very irrational things and didn't really think of the outcome to my words or actions. Words hold so much power and they can effect everything around us. I remember in grade school we learned an experiment about this experiment that was conducted to show that words of aspiration made plants grow faster than a plant who was "bullied" with words. Even somehow are words can affect plants. They have shaped even our own country and can bring a great impact: Martin Luther King's speech "I have a dream" influenced the Federal Government to take more direct actions to more fully realize racial equality. Think of how Mr. Kings speech influenced people and other countries around the world. We all hold power in our words which is why it is so important to be careful in how we use them.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." - Ephesians 4:29

This verse stems from the writer Paul, who was writing to the church in Ephesus and neighboring local churches to whom this letter was circulated to. He wrote this letter not to confront problems stemming in the church but to bring encouragement and strengthen them. Paul is warning the church in this verse of unwholesome language and speaking to the church to encourage them to use words of encouragement that will build others up and benefit to their ears rather than using unwholesome (poisonous or unhealthy) speaking.

After reading this verse the other day, I started to catch myself using words that were more hurtful than helpful. I asked for forgiveness even though I knew that the next day I would go on and do the same thing all over again. The tongue is a constant reminder for me everyday of our sinful nature.

"Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by the small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." - James 3:5-6

How many times do we think about how are words will impact someone or something before we speak? An uncontrolled tongue can do terrible damage. Satan uses words and speech to divide people and pit them against one another. When someone loses their temper, their impulsive and hateful words spread destruction quickly, and no one can stop the results once they are spoken. Even sometimes we are careless in what we say, thinking we can apologize later, but even if we do, those words will still be there. A few words can destroy a relationship taken years to build. Almost everyone in their lifetime can think of one time they experienced this and how much of an impact it brought, whether its divide or even broken relationships or resentment towards another.

So the big question is how do we avoid this?

1. The first thing we can to do to avoid this is to recognize this and understand what sins of an untamed tongue is. Examples of an untamed tongue can be gossiping, insulting, belittling, bragging, manipulating, teaching what is false, exaggerating, complaining, flattering, and lying.

2. The second thing we can to do is to realize that we are sinners and although we may try super hard to control our tongues we sometimes can live in the flesh and slip. Go to God in humility and ask him to give you self-control so that your words can please God.

3. The third thing we need to do is ask for forgiveness from God and others when we use our words hurtfully. Go to God and repent and ask him for forgiveness for the things you have said.

4. The fourth thing we can do is be persistent in the word and in prayer. When we are closer to God we can learn how to be more like him and his word and talking to him can influence us to talk better and control what we say and do.

5. The fifth thing we can do is just practice using kind words to ourselves and others. When we are kind to ourselves we can be kind to others remember that.

6. The sixth thing we can do is speak less. As crazy as this sounds sometimes we need to choose to not speak and just be still. As my Mom use to like to say "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all".

7. The seventh thing we can do is think before we speak. This is a common one but when we think of our consequences and how they will impact someone before we speak we tend to speak less irrationally.

8. The eighth thing we can do is choose who we are around and what we let our ears listen to. When we tend to hear bitter talk around us it tends to become part of our speech and we start to use it. It is kind of like how when kids hear their older cousins using words like "butt" or "stupid" they tend to start saying those words around the house because also like little children, what environment we are around influences our actions and what we say.

9. The ninth thing we can do is think about "am I grieving or pleasing God with my attitude and actions?"

I bet there are many other steps we can take to help control our speech but just starting with these 9 steps we can start to see our lives be transformed by Jesus. I encourage you today to use your words for good and not for evil and that they may please the Lord. Remember that your words have power and God's word has power too, so use them for God's glory for they may bring another soul to Christ you never know. So go act in love towards others just as God acted in love by sending his son to die for our sins. Amen.