Proverbs 18:20-21
Make your words good – you will be glad you did. Words can bring death or life! Talk too much, and you will eat everything you say.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A friend recently sent me a video from YouTube that portrayed a blind man sitting on a sidewalk with a sign that read, “I’m blind… please help.” People would pass him, and occasionally someone would toss a coin his way. Then a woman stopped, walked back, picked up the sign and scribbled something on the back of it. She turned the cardboard over and stood it up beside the man… and he began to be flooded with coins.
The woman returned, and the man asked, “What did you do to my sign?” She replied, “I wrote a sign… but with different words.” Her words were… “It’s a beautiful day, and I can’t see it.” You can see this video for yourself at http://youtu.be/Hzgzim5m7oU.
How often are we guilty of choosing the wrong words? Do you suppose you are more persuasive when you tell a child, “Don’t!” or “No!”… or when you say, “That stove is hot… if you touch it, you will get burned.”? When you tell a friend, “You’re turning into a jerk,” do you really think he/she will listen? But if you say, “You know I love you, but other people are starting to avoid you because of how you are acting,” you might get his/her attention.
When you tell someone, “You really need to be coming to church” – how do you suppose they feel? But if you say… “We have such a great time at church, and we’d love it if you would come with us” – you might have a chance of getting them there. If you tell someone, “God loves you so much and wants to bless you in ways you can’t imagine,” won’t that get you farther than saying, “You better turn to God… or else!”?
Often we say things out of love and care or concern… but that’s not how they are received. I’ve heard people (who usually are known for a rather sharp tongue and blunt attitude anyway) say, “Well, I told them that for their own good!” No… these people failed to choose good words… and in doing so, they did far more harm than any good they ever hoped to accomplish. The Bible tells us that the tongue holds the power of life or death… and the difference is often determined by how we choose our words.
What about you? Are you a blind man today… or is it a beautiful day and you can’t see it? The difference is all in a matter of words. Have you asked God to help you choose yours wisely today?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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