“A word fitly spoken is like applies of gold in pictures of silver.”
Proverbs 25:11
I have always been fascinated by how quickly babies learn to speak. An infant begins to gurgle and goo which quickly turns to big time jabbering. Next comes sweet little words like da-da, ma-ma and bye-bye. Next the baby begins to string a few words together which leads to sentences and paragraphs and then Pow!, it’s full blown monologues.
“Words kill, words give life; they are either poison or fruit.”
Proverbs 18:21
It is estimated that we speak 16,000 words a day! How we use those words is very important. To me, the best use of our words is to praise God – to thank Him for all He has done for us. To express our love and desire to serve Him. In prayer, we can praise Him and confess our sins and pray for our loved ones.
“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”
Proverbs 16:24
With words we can ask Jesus to save us, we can witness to the lost and dying.
We can express our love to our family. What a joy it is to hear your child say, “I love you!” Our words spoken to others can brighten their day. We have no way of knowing but our kind words can give hope to people who may be struggling to just get through the day. Words can ask forgiveness and offer friendship.
Words – WORDS! Words can tell a story, words can write a song, words can teach, words can entertain, words can inspire!
Some people have a way with words (like politicians and comedians) and other struggle to find their words. My grandson Devon is autistic. He can use words to express his needs but can’t converse with others. It is important to take care in the words we use about ourselves and others for we are made in the image of God. In a recent movie, a maid who was more involved in the little girl’s life than her mother spoke these words to her everyday:
“You is kind, you is smart, you is important.” She knew the weight of these words would help that little girl grow up with self-worth.
My husband, who is a barber, says he talks for a living. He can be very entertaining at times but in serious matters he is slow to speak and speaks very softly. It is said a smart man knows what to say, a wise man knows when or if to say it.
At this point in my blog on words it might seem that the spoken word is “all wonderful,” sadly we know that it is not the case. If I can find the “words” for another blog on the not so wonderful side of the spoken word, maybe I will tell the “rest of the story.”
How will you use your 16,000 + words today?