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.’
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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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