Words

Words

Words. Do you think about words? Well, sure you probably think about the words that you are going to say or write down on paper, but have you ever stopped to consider the tremendous power behind words? Words can evoke emotions, influence people, explain or bring understanding to people.

Think about the first words that a young child says, “mama” or “dada” most likely. Do they not bring a wonderful feeling of pride to the parents? Or when that special someone says “I love you” for the first time, what a great feeling that brings to the hearer. Your words can encourage a person when they are down, or make someone see the bright side of a situation. You can make someone’s day by simply picking up the phone and saying some simple words to them, “Hi! I just called to see how your day was going.”

Do you remember that simple saying: “Sticks and stones make break my bones, but words will never hurt me,”?  Sadly untrue. Words can hurt deeply, and with long lasting scars. “I hate you.” “I don’t want to be your friend anymore.” “You’re stupid.” All terrible words to hear. Sometimes words hurt even when they are not intended to. “Your picture is almost as good as your brother’s picture.” “Someday you might be just as pretty as your sister.” Possibly thoughtlessly said, but hurtful nonetheless.

Most people tend to think that others are telling the truth. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Hopefully we don’t go around thinking that people are constantly trying to deceive us, or trick us in some way. But words can be used to influence people’s thinking, and not always in a positive way. Adolf Hitler comes to mind. With his charismatic personality and the way that he used words, he brought a great many people to believe in his evil way of thinking. And what were the results? Neighbor turned against neighbor, son turned against father, world war broke out, millions of people died. Not a pleasant thought.

Similar things are happening today. People are saying things, and other people are just believing the words they hear without question. People need to listen to the words that are spoken or written and think about them, compare them with what they know to be true, or seek to find out if the words are indeed the truth.

Evil is all around us today. Evil people using words to advance their evil plans. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ need to be careful of this evil. We are even warned in Ephesians 5:6, “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” We are told to be followers of God, because we are children of light.

It is interesting to note that our Lord Jesus Christ is called the Word in John chapter one. There is no greater word to pay attention to and obey than that Word.

Words have meaning and potentially great power. All words are made up of some combination of twenty-six letters. Be mindful of how you use words and evaluate words that you hear or read. Your future may be effected by the words that are being put out today.