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A note before we begin: I was blessed by our offering last week for the hurricane victims. "Thank you." You can continue to give. Watch our website and church “v-mails” for more suggestions on how you can help.
 Okay everyone, finish this statement for me…
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words… can never hurt me .”
You lie! You got the statement right, but the statement is a lie.
Whoever came up with that proverb should be poked with a stick and hit on the head with a rock, but that wouldn't hurt as much as some words do.
We have all had our feelings hurt by negative words. But is that all there is to it? Or is there a greater power in the spoken word than just to encourage us or hurt our feelings?
 How about this saying… “The pen is mightier…than the sword”. The pen speaks of words, in this case written words. But it speaks of the power of words. Do you think that someone was onto something, more than the power of a free press?
The latent power of words is often underestimated. The Bible says that “ The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21
 God created the world with words. When Jesus came to earth he was referred to as the living word. The saints in the book of Revelation will overcome the devil by the word of their testimony. Jesus said that we will either be acquitted or condemned by our words. Paul wrote that we believe in our hearts, but are saved when we speak…James said that if you can control your words you are perfect.
 Words seem to be pretty important. Then why are we so careless with what we say?
What if I told you that you could set the course for someone's life by the words you speak? What if I told you that you could determine the direction your own life takes simply by carefully selecting what you say? To a large extent our lives are the sum total of the words spoken to us or the words we have spoken ourselves.
James compared the tongue to a bit in a horse's mouth, or the rudder of a ship. Its size makes it seem insignificant, but it actually has the power to direct the rest of the body, and therefore your life.
In the days ahead I want us to begin to take a look at the power of words. We will learn about the positive power of the tongue, and the destructive nature of what we say. We will learn that the power of words extends beyond what we simply say or hear. Words have a power even when no one hears them.
Words in some ancient cultures were not simply things people use to express themselves. The power of a word to bless or curse someone yielded a respect for words that we may find silly today. Two families having a feud may hurl insults at one another, and people would duck to miss the invisible arrows. Similarly, a father may throw himself in front of his child to prevent a curse from befalling his son or daughter.
Were these people superstitious, ill informed or foolish?  Let me ask you a question…What were some of your nicknames growing up? Were they positive of negative? If they were positive, consider how they may have contributed to who you are today.
If they were negative, have you found yourself struggling to overcome their power? How about, “You are just like your mother/father.” “Everyone in our family…” “You always…”
The book of Proverbs says,
“ Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18 )
The Bible treats words as being power packed. They can build up and they can destroy. They can encourage and they can deflate. They can bless and they can curse. They are a lot of things, but they are never meaningless or powerless.
Consider this Proverb…
“Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.” (Proverbs 11:11) This Proverb says that an entire city can be blessed or cursed depending upon what people say about it. What have you heard or said about New Orleans this week?
Let's return to a Proverb I mentioned earlier,
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21 This Proverb tells us, of course, that life and death are in the power of the tongue. A lot of verses in the Bible echo this sentiment. But look at the end of the verse, “… those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Eugene Peterson's The Message says… 21 Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit--you choose. The New Living Translation says that “…the tongue can kill or nourish life”.
Words are not neutral according to the Bible. They are either building someone up or tearing someone down. They are either leading you in the direction you want to go, or steering you into a ditch.
Proverbs 12:14 says,
“From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him.” We spend a lot of time working on what we are going to be when we grow up. We go to college, we develop a strong work ethic, we take jobs and climb the ladder to success…and these things we should do. But this Proverb says that what we say will determine our level of success every bit as much as how hard we work.
Okay, here is where I quit preaching and start meddling. What do you say about yourself? Do you speak well of yourself? Which do you say more often… “I can” or “I can't”? Do you speak often of your limitations, or do you speak most often of what God has enable you to do?
How about how you speak of/to others? Do you complement or criticize? Do you encourage or tear down? Think about home, work, school, friends…
Changing the way you speak will change your life, and the lives of those closest to you.
I want to come back to our little cliché about sticks and stones. The statement is a lie, but there is a sentiment behind it that contains truth. Knowing the truth about words can prevent you from falling victim to their power. Listen to this Proverb…
Through understanding the power of words you can escape the power of negative words. You can also begin to empower yourself and others. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people perish for a lack of knowledge.” Another false saying is “What you don't know can't hurt you.” LIE! What you don't know CAN hurt you. The Bible says it can kill you. But by knowledge we may escape!
We are just scratching the surface today. There is a lot more to say, but you already know enough to change your life, if you will begin asking God to help you watch what you say…if you will determine to bless and not to curse…if you will determine to steer your own vessel toward success by speaking well of yourself (the bible is a good source of good things to say about you).
Say something good to someone before you get away from here. Read your Bible and begin to say about yourself what God says about you. |
