Words
The tongue has the power of life and
death.
Proverbs 18:20
The man sat on the sidewalk, soliciting
passersby. The cardboard sign in front of him read, ‘I’m Blind’.
He had a coffee can into which people dropped various denominations
of coinage. With each donation the man uttered a quiet and timid,
‘thank you’.
A young woman happened along, and
walked as if to pass by. Then, as if struck by a second thought, she
turned and picked up his sign. As she crouched before the man writing
with magic marker, he felt her shoes, cataloging their style for
possible future reference. She neither told the man what she was
doing nor why.
No sooner had the woman left than a
stream of people began tossing money in front of the man. Never had
he experienced such an outpouring of compassion! What had the woman
done to make such a difference?
Finished with her workday, the woman
approached the man once again. She noticed the coffee can brimming
with money. She walked over to speak to the man but was cut off when
his hands once again felt her shoes.
“What did you write on my sign?!”
he asked.
She bent to his ear and whispered, “The
same thing you said. I just used different words.” As she walked
away she smiled, rereading her handiwork: ‘It’s a beautiful day
and I can’t see it.’
†
Given the power to effect people’s
lives in a positive manner, why is it we so casually do the opposite?
Words are powerful. With them we can bless or curse. And as today’s
text says, we can speak life or death to someone’s soul.
But for the most part we put no faith
in this simple truth. We offhandedly condemn people to hell or damn
them and their situation to failure, never really thinking about the
power of our words.
With the understanding that what we say
matters, comes the responsibility for choosing and using our words
carefully and wisely. By speaking blessings and life-giving words
over those we come in contact with each day we are edifying their
lives, not helping destroy them.
Prayer
“Lord of love, help me
choose my words wisely, with a compassionate heart and other’s best
interest in mind. May I be Your instrument of blessing and life. In
Jesus’ Name, amen.”
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