The Power of Words

We have all heard of the power that our words hold. Bad words can cut and wound while uplifting, good words can bring blessing and joy. Everyday there is a balance in what not to say and then what needs to be said. The Bible gives us guidelines and says much about our words. One of my favorite verses to help me keep my mouth in check is Ephesians 4:29 "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."

A recent article broke this verse down, and I found there is a wealth of wisdom for us to learn about our words.

Let - every word I say is a choice that I make

no - none - there should be no reason or excuse for unwholesome words to come out of my mouth. Bad days, being emotional, someone speaking harshly to us etc. There is no allowance for Christians to speak unkindly toward others.

corrupt - rotten, unwholesome, ugly language. These words leave a bad taste in our mouths. They suck the life out of us and defile us. There is no room for corrupt words in a Christian's vocabulary.

word - words hold power. with a word, hopes can be dashed, or hearts can be lifted.

proceed - spoken words flow towards others by either washing them in kindness of drowning them in mire.

out of your mouth - our own words, not anyone elses is where our attention needs to be.

but - there is a choice or turning point

good - this encompasses what is beautiful and pleasant. Good words bring life and joy.

necessary - everyone needs to be built up and encouraged, words of grace are not a luxury, but a necessity.

edification - building up, strengthening or making better. Words can do that. Kind words bring healing and hope.

The very last portion of this verse is critical: "that it may impart grace to the hearers." We should always be meticulous with our words because they are a potential source of grace - God's grace - to people who need it. Our words have the power to give life to others. What a great opportunity and responsibility. God allows us to share His grace with others to give them hope and to refresh their souls.

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SusannahAugust 10, 2010 at 1:12 PM
Excellent! Controlling our speech takes effort on good days. But on bad days, especially when we're hurting... now there's a challenge! ღ
Carol J. AlexanderAugust 10, 2010 at 1:35 PM
Thanks for the powerful thoughts. Really appreciate you.
HeatherAugust 10, 2010 at 1:40 PM
Great post,Joyce!! I love it! I have a book I am reading called the Power of our Words and it is powerful!
Sharon CohenAugust 10, 2010 at 7:41 PM
Thanks for this post Joyce! I was just telling my husband that I had to unsubscribe from a blog because of the language. What annoys me is that I had spent years since baptism erasing those words off the back of my eyeballs. Words are powerful and they linger.

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