Today, I am meditating on the power of words.

In this culture, we are big on free speech.

We want to speak freely.

We want to speak loudly.

We want to speak with impunity.

And that last one is where things tend to go off the rails.

Words have consequences because words have power.

We can inspire people to rise to their best aspirations, or to indulge their worst impulses.

We can inspire them to embrace us or to punch us in the face.

We can bless a place or curse it.

We can spread hate or be quiet.

We can honor confidence or betray it.

Proverbs 11:11-13 considers the power of words in three different ways:

¹¹ A city becomes great when the righteous give it their blessing; but a city is brought to ruin by the words of the wicked.

As pastor and author John Maxwell says, “everything rises and falls on leadership.”

People who believe in prayer believe there is power in the words we speak. And even if we don’t pray, hopefully we’ve all had the experience of building someone up with our words. Words of affirmation and encouragement can teach someone to walk in pride, or skulk in shame. We can teach someone to stand boldly or cower in fear.

We can also tear people down by relentlessly criticizing their home. If your neighborhood, town, state, or country is the butt of countless jokes, you may grow reluctant to be associated with it. If you tell people that they come from somewhere worthless, or shameful, they may be inspired to live up, or down, to your words.

Our words have creative and destructive power.

¹² It is foolish to speak scornfully of others. If you are smart, you will keep quiet.

Disparaging remarks are harmful. The same is true of brash, consistent criticism. If we casually malign others with our speech, we can burn bridges in a hurry. Even if we are charismatic and smart. Even if we win awards or make lots of money. Even if a whole bunch of other people like us. A thought commonly attributed to Maya Angelou is that people will forget what we said, and did, but they will never forget how we made them feel. When we carelessly, impulsively, or even enthusiastically ridicule people, we can make passionate enemies for life. As the saying goes, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Sometimes our wisest expression is silence.

Our words have creative and destructive power.

¹³ No one who gossips can be trusted with a secret, but you can put confidence in someone who is trustworthy.

Just as we can damage relationships with criticism, we can destroy them by betraying people’s trust. People gossip for any number of reasons. Having inside information may make us feel significant. People want us to spill the tea, and we’re all too happy to oblige. Gossiping may allow us to connect with others and build a group identity. It may add spice to lives in places they don’t feel spicy enough. It may help us vent our frustrations or learn information we consider crucial to our survival. But whatever it does for us and the people we are talking with, it does the opposite for the people we are talking about.

As gossipers, we are inherently untrustworthy. We can’t be relied upon to honor someone’s privacy. We can’t be trusted with their feelings, or their wounds. We are choosing to take things that are sensitive in their lives and make it entertaining in ours.

Cursers can wreck cities.

Critics can burn bridges.

Gossips can ruin lives.

Our words have creative and destructive power.

Choose yours wisely.

(Photo Credit: SHVETS Production)

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