Your Words Have Power!

So often we equate blessings with material things, gifts, money, tangible benefits. However, blessings come in many different forms and packages. The impact largely depends on the gift as well as the giver. I often wonder how much nicer, kinder, gentler our world would be if every person realized the power of their words. I recognize that our perception of such a principle depends on many factors. Some grew up in surroundings void of positive words spoken as a part of daily conversation. Others are suffering from life’s circumstances that seem to buffet every move despite their efforts to rise above existing circumstances. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand how many people long for kind words, expressions of support, genuine love, care, and affirmation.

You may ask what measure of impact can I make in the life of someone with just my words. The impact has the potential to be immeasurable. Several quotes or cliches come to mind that would fit this scenario. The first that comes to mind is “one kind word can change someone’s entire day”; “raise your word, not your voice”; “kind words do not cost much, yet they accomplish much.” I find the most penetrating and significant of them all comes from Proverbs 18: 21 in which it states, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” When I took the time to carefully examine the depth of that scripture, the question came to mind as to why the word death came first in the sentence. Why didn’t the sentence begin with the positive first? Clearly, I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me saying it is our human nature to speak the negative first. That was AHA moment if I ever had one! Our fleshly nature tends to lean first toward the negative rather than allowing the voice of God to speak through us to utter the positive, the good, the uplifting. When we think about it that is where fear, pessimism, gossip, jealousy, bitterness, etc. stems from, and the list can go on and on.

So where do we start, and how do we begin? First, practice on yourself. Speak positive words over yourself. Openly declare how blessed you are in spite of what you see at the moment. Then test the waters a little. Begin to make it a habit to bless someone with a compliment or a kind word. The world is so full of hatred and divisiveness, yet it can be diffused one person, one action at a time. Make it a point to look someone in the eye, smile, and offer a kind word. You never know the barrier you have the potential to shatter just by making the effort to “bless” someone in such a simple manner. Think about it, that may be the only smile or positive utterance they have experienced that day. I encourage you to ask yourself these questions and then try it.

• How much effort does it take?
• How much will it cost me?
• How much time will I lose?
• What positive affect will my words have on this individual, and ultimately how blessed will I be for blessing someone else?

I venture to say your answers to those questions will be in the following order . . .

None, Nothing, None, Immeasurable!