I’ve been thinking a lot about “words” over the last few days.
The purpose of words…
The use of words…
The importance of words…
The holding back of words (both words that bring life and words that bring death and not life)…
The abundance of words, the right words…
The lack of words…
The sweetness of a kind word…
The comfort of a soothing word…
The sting of harsh word…
The creativity of words…
“Often when I write I am trying to make words do the work of line and color. I have the painter’s sensitivity to light. Much … of my writing is verbal painting.”
—Elizabeth Bowen
The power of words.
The weight of words.
“As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence.”
—Benjamin Franklin
Have you ever felt the comfort of a kind and loving word?
Have you ever felt the punch of a critical word?
Words can be used to build, and they can be used to tear down.
How careless have I been with my words?
How careful have I been with my words?
How often have I withheld a kind, encouraging word?
How often have I let out a critical word? What has that word “created?”
“A word is dead
When it is said,
Some say.
I say it just
Begins to live
That day.”
—Emily Dickinson (“A Word is Dead”)
Words carry weight.
Yes, we can see actions, but we can feel the weight of a word.
The Lord has been highlighting “words” to me lately. He’s been allowing me to take note of words that encourage, words that build up, and He’s also been allowing me to really feel the weight and the sting of a critical word. So lately I’ve been pondering “words”… God’s Word, my words, and the words of others, which brings me back to examining own words again…
“I like good strong words that mean something.”
—Louisa May Alcott (from “Little Women”)
“A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” – Proverbs 15:4 ESV
“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” – Proverbs 12:18 NIV
“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” – Proverbs 16:24 NIV
“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” – Colossians 4:6
“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.” – Matthew 12:36 NASB
“Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” – Psalm 141:3 NIV
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words
Watch your words, they become your actions
Watch your actions, they become your habits
Watch your habits, they become your character
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
—Anonymous
Lord, help me to use my words to build with You. Thank You for teaching me. ?
-Heather ?