I’ve been pondering how powerful words are. It’s amazing how placing a simple word or two in the wrong spot can convey a completely different meaning than intended. A mistaken accent here, a missed syllable there and you can find yourself in a big, fat misunderstanding. As a matter of fact, even perfectly ordered words can carry sneaky double meanings that can get you into hot water.
There was the time, for instance, that I told my family I wanted to try out a new recipe and that I needed a guinea pig. My kids ran screaming out of the room and immediately started hiding their pets. All I wanted was someone to try my new dish! “Guinea Fricassee” was the farthest thing from my mind, believe me. Okay, so I have to admit I thought about smacking my lips and saying something like, “Mmm, tastes like chicken.” Too bad the kids were already running through the house taking an animal inventory.
Sometimes a tough time is not necessarily a result of someone misinterpreting words. It’s a result of choosing to say the wrong ones. Words seem cheap. They don’t weigh anything, you can’t see them, they’re not fattening and once they’re off the lips there’s hardly any physical evidence they’ve been there. But we shouldn’t kid ourselves. They’re potent. They can heal or hurt, build up or tear down. I’ve decided that words are sort of directional. The up or down of my words is my choice. Proverbs 12:25 is a directional example: “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.”
I want to make a point of using “up” words. Words that “build up,” “lift up,” “cheer up”--in general “stir up” good. One of my favorite verses is Hebrews 10:24, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.”
Words are a giant part of my life. I write them and speak them every day. People watch how I use them—including my family. They can also sense the direction of the words that I send their way. I want each word to go in the right direction and from the right direction—from a clean heart UP! I think I’ll let Ephesians 4:29 be my word compass. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others UP according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
UP words will leave a good taste in my mouth every time—not necessarily like chicken.
Upwardly yours,
