Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Recently, an elderly Holocaust survivor was interviewed on television. Her voice trembled as she spoke of her memories.  When asked, “What do you see as the cause of the Holocaust?”  the survivor sat for a minute and reflected.  Looking somberly into the eyes of her interviewer she responded, “It all started with words.  Those words planted hate. And there was no stopping the hate.” (paraphrased)

Words: a mere twenty-six letters of the English alphabet strung together.  Those insignificant letters spoken from our lips in hateful sequences can incite enough hate to launch our world into war.  Those twenty-six letters written on pages with venom can lead to the death of six million Jews.  Words!

Because we use words as stepping stones to emotions, we choose our words according to the emotions we wish to produce.  Tragically, those words can be cruel, producing emotions of hate, elitism, and segregation.  But on a positive note, those words can produce emotions of generosity, encouragement, mercifulness, and love.

Using our words to create emotions is nothing new.  In 1 Samuel 1, we can read the story of a man named Elkanah and his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.  Because Hannah was barren, she was the brunt of her “sister-wife’s” hurtful comments.  Peninnah had mastered the use of hateful words and skillfully manipulated them to break Hannah’s spirit.  Because of Peninnah’s words, Hannah sunk into depression, refusing to eat and weeping uncontrollably.

It was Hannah’s husband, Elkanah, who chose words spoken in love. His words offered Hannah compassion, affirmation, grace, and understanding.  What a blessing Elkanah.  Imagine Hannah’s life without her husband’s gracious and encouraging words of love.  But can we also imagine Hannah’s tragic life had her husband joined Peninnah in hurling words of hate and anger towards her? Both Peninnah and Elkanah used words, their most powerful weapon, with very different purposes in mind.  With her weapon, Peninnah chose to attack.  With his weapon, Elkanah chose to defend.

Today, those choices are ours.  We choose to attack or defend.  We choose which words to speak to the young mother struggling with an unruly toddler.  Our words can either defend her motherhood by offering encouragement, or attack her parenting skills, discouraging her to the point of surrender.  We choose the words we speak to the minister who may have missed the mark with the sermon.  Our words can be gracious, calling to point one of the practical applications from the lesson, or our words can be vicious, calling to point all the errors of the presentation.  We choose the words we speak to our elders or shepherds, building them up with gratitude or tearing them down with criticism.  Remember the power of our words.  Our words produce emotions.  Choose carefully, dear sisters.  Be warned, It All Started With Words.

Father God, help us to remember the power of our words.

Blessings,
Rita Cochrane