Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim. (Proverbs 15:4)
Since I spend a great deal of time sharing my 'words' with you, I oftentimes find myself reflecting on the words I have shared. Why? The things we say are quite important - if not today, they may be at some point in the life of someone who hears or reads them down the road. Our words are to reflect the love and grace of God - they are to reveal truth, bind up wounds, and create a culture in which people can find hope. Words can be quite damaging when spoken without thought. They can indeed 'maim' - even without us consciously knowing they have.
Do you know what the term 'maim' really means? It is more than doing bodily harm. When we 'maim' with our words it is kind of like us 'disabling' another individual. We 'incapacitate' and in turn, we hinder their progress forward. I think this is why God repeats himself about our 'words' so many times in scripture - he knows their potential to build up, but he also knows the potential to tear down.
Since I spend a great deal of time sharing my 'words' with you, I oftentimes find myself reflecting on the words I have shared. Why? The things we say are quite important - if not today, they may be at some point in the life of someone who hears or reads them down the road. Our words are to reflect the love and grace of God - they are to reveal truth, bind up wounds, and create a culture in which people can find hope. Words can be quite damaging when spoken without thought. They can indeed 'maim' - even without us consciously knowing they have.
Do you know what the term 'maim' really means? It is more than doing bodily harm. When we 'maim' with our words it is kind of like us 'disabling' another individual. We 'incapacitate' and in turn, we hinder their progress forward. I think this is why God repeats himself about our 'words' so many times in scripture - he knows their potential to build up, but he also knows the potential to tear down.
Indulge me for just a moment and think back over the last hour. What words did you speak to another? What words did you use to describe something to yourself - those words in your mind that rumble around in there until you are convinced they are true? I receive all kinds of text messages and some of them are quite warming, but nothing warms my soul as much as those that are spoken in genuine love to my face.
I saw a little meme on social media this morning that showed the hieroglyphics of ancient days and just below it the most popular emojis of this day and age. Do you know what the caption said? "4,000 years later and we're back to the same language." Sad, but true! We resort to all manner of 'conversation' these days without ever sharing face-to-face. If words have so much significance in God's eyes, maybe it might be time we just take notice of where our words have fallen a bit shy of what God really desires and begin to use words that build up, shine light on his grace, and open doors for us to share even more words face-to-face. Just sayin!
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