The Power of Words

"By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach." Winston Churchill

"Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace." Buddha

"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

What is in a word that when spoken holds humankind above all other earthly creatures, suspending us above the animals and the things of the sea? It can build a mountain. And it can tear it down. In a word, a thief is punished and a beggar is set free. In a word, a husband and wife join together, an old woman win's the lottery, a young man graduates college, a child leaves home for good, and a school teacher hands out grades.

In a word, we can confirm life, in a bold stroke, or tear it down, in a swift pattern of destruction. We are the dreamers of dreams, as Willy Wonka says. But, I'm afraid we have the power to do much more.

A simple word holds the power to suggest everything and nothing at all. (James 3: 1-12) And we have the chance to exchange these as gifts, as sacred treasure. In every breathe, we are given the grace of life. In every word we are given the option to pass it along as the King's language. Love reaching down to the lowest of the low, the beggar and the thief. This is the joy of the Master, to lavish his children with the gift of Love, and tongues to speak. The greatest of all creatures on earth. Speaking words!

But, just as they can heal, they can cut. With a twist of the mouth, our potion turns deadly. A dreadful poison that drips from the mouth. It cuts and tears at the flesh. In those moments, when words cut like a knife, they can open old wounds and break down our hope and shatter our lives. And surely our God has forsaken us.

Today, in this very hour, our scars may outnumber our friends. And our misery may grow like a weed in a dangerous garden. And loneliness might be closer than a brother. In these moments, our hearts weaken. And our words reflect the very desperation of the air that is pressed inward, suffocating our hearts.

But there is a reality that is more present than time-that began before and will remain after the danger and the stain that occasionally falls from our lips. (Psalm 90:2)

And the father, who holds a blanket over our scars, is ready and able to give us rest and restore His love in our mouths. Will we trust him?