Words are Powerful

It's not often that I watch television.

In fact, there is only 1 show that I am committed to watching, even if I watch it 3 weeks later on my laptop at cbs.com.

Flashpoint. It's about a strategic response unit who looks out for the good of the world.

Tonight's episode (well, the show is actually on Friday nights, but tonight seemed like a good night to sit back and relax for 42 minutes with some orange sherbert and my laptop) was about a "typical" school shooting. It makes me sad to know that I can refer to a situation where a kid brings a gun to school and shoots other humans as typical, but it is the reality in our world today.

Billy was a high school sophomore who had a knack for art. His dad was a drunk, so the family was living in poverty. Ella noticed Billy's talent, but she was dating Scott, Mr. Big Shot Football Player. Scott and his friend, Tony, spent their free time at school bullying the scrawny little sophomore. Billy quickly tired of the bullying, and the day after he was forced to eat garbage and say that he was gay, he decided to bring a gun to school to get revenge. While looking for his bullys, Billy interrupted a class. One of the students not knowing that there was a gun under Billy's shirt, stood up and said, "Get out, you loser!"

Two shots fired. The boy and a nearby classmate were injured, the girl losing blood quickly.

When the SRU arrived, the boy explained,"I called him a loser, and he went nuts. It's my fault she is hurt."

Words are powerful.

Words can hurt. Some show the hurt by acting out like Billy. Some internalize the hurt and slowly begin to believe that their identity is in lies behind the words.


My day began thinking about words. I thought about the words I had used two days before when I was frustrated with one of my favorites. I confess, sometimes my favorites aren't always my favorites, but it doesn't take long for them to become my favorite again. Such is life.

Thankfully I was able to have a conversation with my favorite, and was graciously forgiven for my diarrhea of the mouth moment.

Throughout the day, I continued to have conversations that wreaked of hurtful words.

"I called my son a f***ing idiot."

"He would get angry and lash out, verbally abusing my mom."

Words are powerful.


I think God may be challenging me to spend more time thinking about the way I use MY words. You know the saying, "Think before you speak." Think about...

The choice of words. The tone of voice. The context. The heart.

Jesus says...

"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned”.
Matthew 12:34 - 37

Words are powerful.

So many times, I can let my emotions speak before I have time to logically think through the context of the situation. So many times, I speak before I have time to draw out God's Word.

Think before I speak. Store up God's Word in my heart.


What words should NOT come out of my mouth? Words that...

...criticize

...judge

...hate

...demean

...curse

...corrupt

...deceive

..._______

What words should come out of my mouth? Words that...

...encourage

...love

...forgive

...support

...speak truth

...thank

...save

..._______

Words are powerful.


What words came out of your mouth today? Did your words help or hurt?