“The tongue can bring
death or life” Proverbs 18:21
Writers are a privileged sort, given special access –
assignment even - to wield the holy weapon of words. All people are given this
special access, really. Writers though, have an extra measure of ability and so
accountability for their use of words.
Words have the power to bring life or death to another. It’s
incredible to think that God dared to entrust that power to people? It’s practically
scandalous! Still, He did it. Now, we have the ability to bring life through
our words.
Words that Changed a Young Girl Forever
A shy young girl once experienced the power of another’s
words in her life. Timid and insecure, she would not participate in class. Even
in regular conversation, she would barely be audible if she would speak at all.
Listeners would ask her to speak up, and she would become quieter. They’d
become frustrated and communication would fall flat.
One day, that girl’s teacher led the class in an exploration
of the meanings of their names. The teacher leaned close to the girl. “Your name means joy
bringer,” she said.
The girl looked up and grinned. Joy bringer. Somewhere deep
inside, it was as though a dream had come true. She’d always WANTED to make
others happy; to bring them joy. But her shyness seemed only to frustrate
people. Those words breathed new life into her, and somehow lent her confidence
to become what she’d always wanted to be.
Her family adopted that powerful word and spoke it over the
girl too, continuing to fill the spring of hope and identity that had burst to
the surface that year. Her confidence grew. Her joy grew. That word changed
her, and people were noticing the difference.
Our words can speak life or death. With that kind of trust
and responsibility on our shoulders, it’s something to wear proudly, hold
lightly, and take seriously.
It’s also something to celebrate!
God has put each of us on a mission to love God and love
others. We can use words to bring healing to another’s heart, to defend the
weak, and to redeem the broken.
What does God want us
to do with this superpower?
“The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain.” Prov
10:11
The lips of the godly speak helpful words Prov 10:32
The heart of the godly think carefully before speaking Prov
15:28
Encourage each other and build each other up” 1 Thess. 5:11
Years ago, in a zealous effort to rally Christians to share
how God was working in their lives, I started a church newsletter.
“Will you share what God has been doing in your life?” I’d
ask.
“Oh. Umm… Huh. I’ll have to think about that.” They’d say.
It often meant no. I’d ask and hunt and beg and plead and,
for reasons no one would identify, few were willing to talk about what God was
doing in and through them. It baffled me.
God is excited about what He’s doing, and wants us to “tell what the Lord has done for you” (Luke 8:39).
“No one lights a lamp and then hides it…
Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where its light can be seen by all who
enter the house.” (Luke 11:33) Neither should we hide our words of life from
those who need them.
So HOW do we bring
life with our words, right?
Good news, there’s no ONE way. Our God is much more creative
than that.
When you consider how Jesus spoke and responded to others, He used varied approaches in different situations and with different people.
When you consider how Jesus spoke and responded to others, He used varied approaches in different situations and with different people.
At times, he spoke encouraging, gentle words, simply saying
to the thief on the cross next to him,
“You will be in paradise with me tonight”.
Other times, he roasted a Pharisee in public winning yet another round of
verbal fencing. Still other times, He stood silently before His accusers,
offering no words at all.
How we bear witness will change with the situation and
people too.
I’ve long been in an arms-length relationship with someone
who I’ve desperately wanted to tell about how Jesus has worked in me, spoken to
me, and completely transformed who I am. Yet, each time I ask for opportunity
and for words, Jesus’ instructions for me around this particular person are to
zip my lips. My witness in that particular situation is often silence. By the
way, that’s a difficult practice for someone who loves communication and words
like I do!
Ultimately, wielding the power of words requires inviting
Jesus into the moment and asking Him how he would like us to speak.
Whether the vehicle for our words is fiction, non-fiction,
whether we’re writing news, curriculum, speeches, or stories, we need to invite
Jesus in and ask Him to drive it.
What is one area in your writing where you can invite Jesus in more?
Kimberly Dawn Rempel helps authors and entrepreneurs build their business and their faith through 1:1 coaching, editing, and book marketing help. Her latest course, The Book Launch Method, helps authors sell books, expand their reach, and get their important message into more hands and hearts.
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I love the illustration of the shy girl who was later encouraged by a kind word from her teacher.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate what you are saying and quoting about the power of words--to bring life or death, joy or heartbreak. We must guard our words, not in the sense of hiding them, but of watching our tongues and listening for God's direction about when and how to speak. When you say, "Ultimately, wielding the power of words requires inviting Jesus into the moment and asking Him how he would like us to speak," you are giving us good counsel, Kimberly. Thank you.
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