I’ve been doing some thinking lately on the power of words. I’m a writer, but even if you’re not, you still use words and have experienced the variety of ways they can make you feel. You’ve been told, “I love you” by close family and friends, maybe even a significant other. Someone may have said to you firmly (or possibly yelled), “I don’t want to talk about this right now!” You may have even heard, “I’m so, so sorry” that has come in the form of an apology. Words. Emotions. Together, they make us feel happy, sad, doubtful, angry, excited. All of these things I’m sure, you already know.
This morning though, I was reading in Matthew 22. If you’re unfamiliar with this passage of scripture, three groups of people, the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes, all throw questions at Jesus trying to trap him in his answers. I was looking at Jesus’ responses to these rather annoying groups of people, and the way Jesus answers their questions—the way he uses words—astounds me. Jesus doesn’t get angry; he is calm and collected. He answers their questions and then makes them marvel at what he just said. Now that is power. Jesus was one talented wordsmith.
I’ve been learning lately that I have to be careful with the words that I use—whether it’s in my writing or in the way that I speak. Sometimes I forget the power that they hold. With one sarcastic comment, I can make someone feel incredibly self-conscious. With a carefully placed witty comment, I can have people laughing until they cry. With an honest admission of how I really feel about something, I can make someone reevaluate an entire situation. I have the power to make people marvel at what I say, just like Jesus did. But is that how I really use my words? Is that how you use yours?
I think sometimes we’re more like the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes instead of Jesus with the way we talk or write. I know that I purposefully have tried to manipulate or control situations around me by the way that I use my words. I have said things to make me look better. I have written down all the things I would like to say to someone, but haven’t found the right time to say it in person. I have said things to keep myself protected. I’m not any better than the Pharisees. Are you?
No matter what situation we find ourselves in, we need to take responsibility for the things that we say and we need to mean it. Once something is said, or even written, we can’t take it back. It has already reached the other person’s heart. Now that’s power. How are we going to use it?