By Jesse LeMay

                Most of us likely had our mothers at some point tell us, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” This principle is so worth applying because words can be very impactful. They can hurt, cause anger, stir up jealousy and envy, create self-doubt, and many other negative things. However, on the other side of the coin, words can also help one heal, bring happiness, build trust, instill confidence and feelings of encouragement, and help others in more ways than perhaps we can even truly understand. Words are a fascinating and valuable thing when you think about it. Parents wait in anticipation for their child’s first words. Even God Himself has chosen to communicate to us through words; verbal, written, and through Jesus, who interestingly enough is referred to as the “Word.”

How many words do you think you speak on an average day? Some research suggests that men may speak up to 7,000 words daily, with women speaking up to a whopping 20,000 (languagelog.edu). Out of however many thousands of words you might speak, how many of those would you say are positive and uplifting to others? American author Robert Collier once said, “Most of us, swimming against the tides of trouble the world knows nothing about, need only a bit of praise and encouragement – and we will make the goal.”

                As Christians, we should be even more aware of the things which come out of our mouth. We represent Christ and wear His name. God expects us to be different from the world in how we speak to others, especially those in the church. Paul told the Ephesians to, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification…” (4:29). Why would we ever want to say anything that paints our Lord in a bad light to non-believers? Furthermore, why would we speak in such a way as to discourage a fellow brother or sister in Christ? What if something we said caused someone to fall away from the faith? Our aim should be to build one another up and encourage others to grow in their faith. In so doing, we might just help them reach their goal. May we all choose our words wisely and use them for good!