Our words are powerful.
In the past week it is especially important to acknowledge this as in the streets there have been masses, some promoting words of love, words of advancement. However others promoting words of hate, words of division.
Words cultivate a response. Whether it is someone reading a sign and feeling encouraged or someone reading a sign and feeling attacked. It could be reading an article and believing everything it says and feeling proud of our country or frustrated with our country. Our words have the power to manipulate the feelings of others. Hence why we should be thoughtful of what we say.
Furthermore, our words reflect how we think and act. If we say something, it gives off and impression of our character. However what we think our words are saying may not always be how other people perceive them. Another reason why we should be thoughtful with what we say.
This is not at all to discourage standing up and fighting for what you believe in. Only a consideration to be thinking about the effect your words might have on those around you. Could they be hurtful? Could they cause further division?
To demonstrate the power of words, I would like to turn to the biblical story of the bleeding woman. In this story, there was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had been rejected by her husband and all others of society as an outcast, as sickly and gross. In the book of Mark it says, "She head heard the reports about Jesus and she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment" (Mark 5:27 ESV).
This woman HEARD about Jesus. I emphasize this because I truly believe it is overlooked. Someone told this woman about Jesus and how He was a healer. She heard it from someone else's words. Because of this person's words, she was healed. Mark goes on saying, "And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease" (Mark 5:29 ESV).
Whether she heard about Jesus in a sermon, in a casual conversation in passing, or by someone who stopped her and told her that He could help, the words of whoever told her changed her life drastically. She was healed of her horrible disease.
This is why our words are so important. This is why it is essential that we preach love and not hate. We never know who is listening and who needs to hear it the most.
