One word. One look. One motion of the hand. Sometimes even just silence is all that is necessary to show our emotion towards each other. The question is—what kind of message are my words/actions, or lack of, sending?
“Sticks & stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” – reads an old childhood poem. However, what does Scripture say about what comes from our mouth? “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” [Proverbs 18:21]
Do I really take what comes out of my mouth that seriously? Can my words really speak death??! We laugh off snide remarks; rashly respond to an annoying question; joke about another person’s mistake or quirk; and join in on the latest gossip at work about other coworkers; yet, find it so difficult to walk away from all of that, and encourage one another with a kind word or praise. {Remember, sometimes that bit of encouragement even needs to be directed to ourselves! How often do we beat our self down with phrases like, “I’m so stupid!” or “How come I can’t be like, ‘so-and-so?’”}
I want to challenge you & myself — this week, let’s be more conscious of what comes out of our mouth. Let’s go breathe some life into our world!
