The Power of Our Words

“I want to be a wise woman and use my words to help, heal, honor, benefit, and build up those who listen.” ~Wendy Pope

Being an adult is hard sometimes—really really hard. A multitude of “standards” and opinions swirl around us daily, trying to define us on their terms, often leaving us in a wake of insecurities as we consider how we are not measuring up. Gone are the days of little girlhood, of being covered in compliments for simply walking, talking, and looking adorable.

A woman passing me in the grocery store the other day stopped and simply said, “You look really pretty today.” Friends, I literally glowed the rest of the day. It was one of those days where everything had been falling apart, my hair was a mess (let’s not kid ourselves…this is a daily occurrence), and I was feeling “less than” in every area of my life.

One compliment.

Five words.

That’s all it took.

Five simple words from a stranger made me smile on a tough day. She was genuine and kind, and it was sweet balm to my soul. She will never know the difference her words made. But God does, and so do I.

I did a little research and discovered that on average, women speak about fifteen to twenty thousand words each day. Whew. That’s a lot of words. If five words from a stranger could have such an impact on me, imagine what our full daily allotment of words could do for the people in our lives.

Our words have tremendous power to soothe and pierce those who surround us in ways we cannot begin to fathom.  Being kind or judgmental? Building up or tearing down? Speaking life or death? I know, I know—it seems a bit dramatic, but God has a lot to say about our words, and I think we should listen:

• “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Prov. 18:21 NIV)
• “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” (Prov. 15:4 NIV)
• “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Prov. 12:18 NIV)

We may not know how to best use all of our twenty thousand words per day, but God does. Let’s be wildly courageous and ask God to help us make a difference, a few words at a time.

Lord, I ask you to help us be wise with our words. Let us help, heal, honor, and build up not only the people in front of us but also your holy name. And please, lead us to new opportunities each day to love on your people and speak life and kindness over them. Amen.

Scripture for Reflection

“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.” Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

Reach for More

This week’s challenge is about being more mindful and purposeful with our words. Each day, seek out at least one person to genuinely compliment/build up. Remember, it only takes a few words to make a big difference.

Dear friends, you can do this. I believe in you, and in all your beautiful words. Be courageous, and remember that one small act of love is so much greater than none at all.

Please, come back and leave a comment telling us about how God spoke to you this week, or share your progress on social media using the hashtag #tgtreachformore. We would love to hear from you.

Sarah Lundgren has a passion for all things sparkly, loves God with her whole heart, and is known to love Starbucks chai lattes a whole lot, too. Sarah is currently snuggled in the heart of Grand Rapids, Michigan with her hubby, J, and their sweet baby Theo.

Photograph used with permission from, and copyright of, Michelle Lenger.