words

I'm sitting down to write right now because I have to.

I told Jesus I would, so I am.

I have several things spiraling around in my head to say but I don't feel like I have fully processed through them all yet to be able to express myself with clarity.

Words are important.

They matter.

I think we have gotten to a place where we don't really give much thought to the words that we say. I actually got to thinking about that just now when, twice, back to back, people said something to me like "How's it going?" When I answered vaguely but pleasantly and returned the question they had no response. One of them I rode 6 floors on an elevator with, with the awkward unanswered question just hanging there in space.

It occurred to me. These people really could have cared less how it was going for me. They said these words simply to say words nothing more. Socially you should greet someone because it is polite, so we say "Hey, how're you doing?"

What if I had responded by saying, "Well thanks for asking! It's been a terrible day! My dog died and my husband left me. I don't know how I am going to go on."

That would have SHOCKED the poor man who simply asked a question out of courtesy but really didn't care to know the answer. This has me thinking, do we take stock in the power of the words that we say? Do we really take the time to consider their affect or the full meaning of what we are saying?

I know I don't.

I would venture a guess that you don't either.

There is a verse in scripture that says, "Life and death is in the power of the tongue." James devotes the majority of his third chapter to the concept of taming the tongue. He even goes so far as to say that with our words we can affect the entire direction of who we are as a person

That is power. 

So as I sit here, writing because I promised Jesus I would, I'm realizing the heavy responsibility it is. The Lord is asking me to put words out for others to read that I cannot take back. So as I move forward with this particular step of obedience it is with a fresh commitment to the value behind why.

I want to use my words to uplift, encourage, speak truth and most importantly point to Jesus.

Pray that I will be obedient to this, not just in a blog, but in all things.

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