How to Use Your Words for Good
By Nelson Searcy
The words you speak every day carry more power than you realize. They have the potential to take your life – and the lives of those around you – in either a positive or a negative direction. To use your words for good, you must first begin focusing on certain categories of words while working to eliminate others from your vocabulary altogether.
Specifically, decide to create a habit of speaking words of praise and encouragement. At the same time, choose to steer clear of any kind of gossip or complaining. When you do, you will see a positive difference in your life and in the effect you have on other people. Here’s a quick look at each of these types of words to help you get started:
Praise – Words of praise shift your attention away from selfishness and toward God’s goodness. Try starting every day by praising God for who he is and for the blessings in your life. Let those words settle into your heart and become part of the wellspring you speak from for the rest of the day.
Encouragement – Everyone needs encouragement. As you begin speaking from a God-focused heart, encouraging words will come naturally. You will begin seeing other people as God sees them, which will make you want to use your words to help them grow in that direction. When you stop focusing on others’ shortcomings and instead become a source of encouragement, you are cooperating with God in building them into the people he wants them to be.
On the negative side of the equation, there are two major categories of words that can sabotage your life and your relationships. Speaking these words is like ingesting small, daily doses of poison:
Gossip – Gossip, in all forms, is destructive. Not only does it tear others down, it also deteriorates people’s trust in you. When you gossip, you are engaging in an activity that has no possible end result but harm. Others are hurt, and the noxious words seep into your soul, creating internal toxicity.
Complaints – Complaints become self-fulfilling prophecies. If you feed the small irritations in your life with words, they will grow into more substantial problems. The energy you spend focusing on them gives them heightened potential to derail your best life.
To explore the power of your words in more depth, be sure to check out my new book, Tongue Pierced: How the Words You Speak Transform the Life You Live (David C. Cook, 2015). Pick up your copy at Amazon.com, a book retailer near you, or by visiting The Journey Church – Boca Raton.
Mark your calendar to join us this Sunday, February 8th for the kick off of our brand new teaching series Seven: Surviving the Seven Deadly Sins at 9:30am or 11:00am at Boca Raton Community High School. Special programming and free Tikiz Shaved Ice for kids birth thru 5th grade, too. For more, see www.bocajourney.com. I would love to see you there!
Nelson Searcy is the lead pastor of The Journey Church in Boca Raton.
www.bocajourney.com
