Our theme this week is our tongue- our words.

Can you remember a time in your life when someone spoke words to you that changed the course of your life? Perhaps in a positive way their words were an encouragement and you have never forgotten them. Perhaps in a negative way their words were a discouragement and you have never forgotten them. When I was getting ready to graduate from High School, I was signed up to go into the NAVY as an Air Traffic Controller. I was on a wait list of 100+ women waiting to enter. Now that doesn’t sound like much but it took over 18 months for my number to come to the ready status. I didn’t really do much while I waited; I kind of just hung out. I had a conversation with a history teacher, Mrs. Reese and she said to me, “I know you are going to do
something great. You can do anything you set your mind to.” As silly as it sounds those words spurred me to reconsider my waiting strategy and I started College in the next term. By the time the NAVY called to ask me if I was ready to go in, I had completed my first degree and was well on my way to the second. Since that time, 25 years ago, I completed two Master’s degree,
worked as a civilian System Engineer for the NAVY and now in the Biblical Counseling field. Mrs. Reese’s words very powerfully and positively affected me. You could say, God used her to change the course of my entire life.
Maybe you had the opposite experience. Perhaps when you were a child you were told you were stupid or that you would never measure up to your sister, and ever since then you have been trying to prove them wrong. You have felt inferior, less than, inadequate, and stupid. How terribly you were sinned against. The power of those words negatively impacted your entire life. Those words may have robbed you of living life to the fullest.
Words can wonderfully soothe, encourage and spur to action, or they can irritate, discourage and immobilize. As we consider our words this week, I want us to begin with remembering the impact others words have had on our lives, for good or ill.
Every word we speak can powerfully impact another’s life, for good or ill. Our words do not belong to us, they belong to God.

Your challenge for today is to stop and think before speaking. Consider whether you are investing positively in this person’s life.

Diane