You can listen to this message or any others at Journey here
Our words are incredibly powerful. They are often the most common weapon we wield on a daily basis and here is the kicker, we rarely give them a second thought.
Sociologists believe that most adults use about 16,000 words a day.
Do you have any idea, how you used 1,000 words yesterday let alone 16,000 (and I know some of you, use allot more than that).
And Proverbs 18:21 says this about each one of those words: “the tongues has the power of life and death…”
Our words are powerful. We may use them without thinking, they may fly out of our mouth faster than we can imagine – but that doesn’t mean they don’t have consequences.
The big idea, I want you to catch today is this – Our words can destroy or inspire.
“the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 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” – James 3:5-6
One of the reasons that words are so powerful is that they hang around for so long. We think of words as coming out of our mouths, going into the ears of our intended receiver and then simply disappearing. But that’s not how it works, especially for those negative words we say, those words seem to echo sometimes for weeks other times for years.
Think about that, some awful toxic word you spoke to someone could be carried around by them their entire lives. And not only that but the toxic words you said, combine with the toxic someone else said and all of a sudden it builds and snow balls.
“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. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:29,31-32
What Paul is telling us here is that our words have the power to give life, to build someone up, to chip away at some of the toxic messages people have been taking in most of their lives.
Did your parents ever tell you, or better yet do you ever tell your kids – “if you don’t have something nice to say then don’t say anything at all.”
That’s a good rule but here is a much better one – “if you have something good to say, say it every time!” Something good pops into your head, it should could come right out of your mouth.
So many people, so often with hold the blessing of their giving words. They think, “oh they don’t really need to hear it, or if I say that they think I’m silly.” That’s crazy!
In a world where most of us are beaten over the head toxic words. In a world where so many of us are carrying toxic words with us everyday that someone spoke to us years ago – and something good and positive comes to mind, some life giving word comes to your mind and your going to with hold that from someone because you might look silly.
That’s crazy! So everybody agree with me this morning, a new rule I’m going to live by is “when something good comes to mind about someone – I’m going to say it, every time!”
Because, here is the truth.
- If your having trouble in your marriage one of the problems (maybe not all) but at least one; is that there are more toxic words spoken in your house than life-giving words!
- If your having trouble with your kids, I’ll gurante, one of the problems is that there are more toxic words spoken between you than inspiring words.
- If your trouble with a friend or co-worker, you got it, one of the problems is that there are more toxic words spoken than inspiring words.
That’s why it says in Eph. 4:29, “don’t let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth.” Because God knows that our tendency as humans is not to speak the life giving words, the inspiring words but to speak the toxic words!
