Kind words are like honey-- sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Proverbs 16:24 NLT
I was golfing the other day and started out pretty good. I started the round with a positive attitude and praised myself for the good shots. But then came the 5th hole. I ended up losing 2 golf balls, hit in the sand bunker, and had to pick up my ball because I reached double par. Basically everything that could go wrong on the golf course went wrong on that hole.
I started to get down on myself and started talking negatively. I was mad about the way I played, so I decided to try and take my anger out on the next hole's tee shot. I thought that maybe all my anger would help the ball go farther... Boy was I wrong. I ended up popping the ball so far into the air that it only went 5 feet in front of me.
I realized that all my negative self-talk and emotions only caused more negative results. I decided to change my attitude on the next hole and started encouraging myself. I decided to speak words of life.
By being positive and uplifting, I was able to play better and have more fun. I told myself "I can do it; I got this." instead of "I can't do it; this is going to be horrible". Just the change in the words I was speaking allowed me to play so much better. I still wasn't happy about hole number 5, but I stopped allowing that one bad hole to influence all the rest and my words.
Words have power; a lot of it actually. God created the entire universe and everything in it by simply speaking. He created life out of dust with just His words. If we are truly created in God's image, why would we think our words don't mean anything?
Our words can bring either life or death. And not only do they have the power to bring life or death in ourselves, but they also influence other people. Our words can sometimes carry more weight than our actions, and they certainly have the power to influence them.
Words can make the biggest mountain crumble, and they can light a new path in someone's life. Sometimes we can see the effects of life giving words right after we speak them, but other times, their influence is gradual. We never know what one simple word can do in someone's life.
Speak love. Speak hope. Speak life. Always.
"A person's words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook" Proverbs 18:4
"Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person's lips bring satisfaction" Proverbs 8:20
"Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit" Proverbs 15:4
"Evil words destroy one's friends; wise discernment rescues the godly" Proverbs 11:9
"Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground" Genesis 1:26