Perspective: The Power of Words

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

The Power of Words

Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:29 (NRSV)

Be careful little ears what you hear

When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near

Be careful little lips what you say

For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

From "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns

One day, a young man named Jeremiah hears the voice of God, who reveals to him that, even before he was born, he had been set apart to be a prophet - someone called to speak on behalf of God.  At first, Jeremiah objects to such a high and lofty calling, saying that he cannot not speak on God's behalf because he is too young.¹  In response, God reaches out and touches Jeremiah's mouth, saying,

Now I have put my words in your mouth.

See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,

to pluck up and to pull down,

to destroy and to overthrow,

to build and to plant.²

As I've noted previously, what God says to Jeremiah is, in my opinion, a testament to the power of words, especially words that come from God.  Often we try to diminish the power of words.  For example, we teach children pithy sayings like "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me," even though we know they aren't true.  God authorizes Jeremiah "to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant" through the words God has placed in his mouth.  Words have power.

Another part of Scripture that, I would say, testifies to the power of words is the very first chapter of the very first book in the Bible.  Throughout this poem we read about a God who creates the world through the power of words.

Let there be light.

Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.

Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.

Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.³

Toward the end of the Creation poem, God says, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness."⁴  One way that we humans are created in the image of God is the fact that we have the capacity to create, and one way that we create is through our words.  When God creates human beings, God gives them a special purpose, saying, "Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."⁵  Created to cultivate and steward the earth, humans were given the power and the authority to make a significant impact on the world.

Words create worlds.  Consider the worlds that have been created by fantasy writers like C.S. Lewis, who gave us The Chronicles of Narnia, and J.R.R. Tolkien, who gave us The Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and other tales of Middle Earth.  More seriously, consider the thinkers and leaders who, with their words, had a part in shaping the world in which we live, for better or for worse.  It has been said that "the pen is mightier than the sword."  Totalitarian dictators would not censor the media and burn books if they did not believe that words held the potential to pose a serious threat to them.

Words are powerful, but, like all forms of power, the power of words has the potential be misused.  In the words of one ancient sage, "Wholesome speech is a tree of life, but dishonest talk breaks the spirit."⁶  St. James suggests that, in the same way that a small flame has the capacity to burn down a large forest, the tongue is a small part of the human body that has a great potential for destruction.⁷

As human beings, each of us has, to some degree, the power to make an impact on the world around us, through our words, through our actions, and even through our very presence.  We must not take this power lightly, and we must use whatever power we have responsibly so that the impact we have is positive.  Furthermore, we must be mindful of the way our words are shaping the world around us.  May we grow in our love for God and in our love for others, so that we do what God created us to do, to care for the world God created.


Notes:

1. Jeremiah 1:4-6
2. Jeremiah 1:9-10 (NRSV)
3. Selections from Genesis 1:1-25 (NRSV)
4. Genesis 1:26
5. ibid.
6. Proverbs 15:4 (CEB)
7. James 3:5b-6

The image of the old dictionary page is public domain and was found on The Old Design Shop blog.