The Lord made mankind unique in that man is His only creation that uses words to communicate. Although words may seem like something you merely utter out of your mouth, they go much deeper and are very powerful. They can be used as weapons to destroy. They can become a prison that confines. But they can also be used as a tool to build up.
Words used as weapons have the power to wound deeply. When you are physically hurt there may be a scar to remind you of the pain that was inflicted. But when you are hurt by words, there is an emotional scar that can take much longer to heal, if it even heals at all. Memory works against us when we are afflicted with emotional scars caused by words because we cannot seem to forget them. We carry them around with us like a piece of baggage we cannot seem to put down. The weight of it can make us bitter and resentful over the years. I am sure many of us can think right now of words that were said to us that we have never forgotten because of the pain they inflicted. To this day we may not even speak or have a relationship with the person who uttered them, but those words are still etched in our memory.
Major wars and battles have been started because of the exchange of words. Families have been shattered and relationships broken because of words uttered. The unfortunate thing about words is that once they are spoken, they cannot be taken back. It does not matter how many “I am sorry” or “I beg your pardon” we may add afterwards, they do not leave the hearer’s memory. Even if we did not mean it or we were having a bad day, once the words leave our mouths they cannot be retrieved.
Words also have the power to confine like a prison. There are some words that were spoken to us as children that have prevented us from reaching our fullest potential. They locked us in like prison bars, and we were not able to break away from their weight. These are words that may have crushed your spirit, left you lost, and set you in the wrong direction in life.
It is not just the words of our mouths, but the words of our thoughts than can hinder us in life. Your thoughts are words that have the power to speak to your everyday life. The words you think shape your life. These thought–words can build you up or tear you down. They also have the power to tear others down without their knowledge. You may believe that you have a good relationship with another person when all along that person may be envious and not even like you at all. Since the thoughts are in a person’s head, you will never know. That is pretty powerful!
On the other hand, words can also be used as a tool to bring about a beauty to life that is incomprehensible. Think of the wonderful books that have been written or the beauty of poetry; these are words that can inspire. Think of a quote or something a meaningful person has said to you that has encouraged you in life. Proverbs 25:11 tells us that, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Indeed, using the right words at the right time are like using the right tool for the right job; you get a good product just like the Lord when He spoke the world into existence.
Yes, it has been a challenging year and many words were used to spew hatred and division. But words also have another medicinal property. Words have the power to heal. Healing words encompass hope, peace, and equity for all humanity. These healing words are the words given to us by our Savior when He died on the cross and words of healing are what Christ wants us to spread to our fellow man.
As another year dawns, let us look to the Lord to heal us naturally, emotionally, and spiritually. Let us continue to use our words to heal and build up and not use words as a weapon to tear down. Next time you open your mouth to say something, remember that words have a lot of power!
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Another year has visited us and 2020 will easily become a major milestone in our history. This year has brought many challenges not just in our nation but in the entire world. We experienced many losses and extreme changes in the way we go about our lives. As I conclude our word study for this year, I would like to thank you for reading and I pray the Lord continues to take us through to another year.