Words Matter – Use Them Carefully

Scripture: Proverbs 13:3; Colossians 4:6; Ephesians 4:19

Title: Words Matter – Use Them Carefully

Theme: Using Words for Good

This sermon speaks about the power of our words and how we can use our words to bring healing and wholeness instead of destruction and damnation.

INTRO:

Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

I want to talk to you today about words. In particular how we use our words in our everyday lives and how we can make those words have more positive and uplifting power.

Every day every one of us uses words. In fact, in a recent study (https://ubrp.arizona.edu/study-finds-no-difference-in-the-amount-men-and-women-talk/) it was discovered that the average person uses approximately 16,000 words a day. That is to say, we use an average of about 1,000 words per hour each day.

Now, of course some people use more words while others use fewer words. In that same study, one person discovered that on average they used only 795 words every day, while another person discovered that they used an average of 47,000 words a day. I think we would all agree that is quite a difference.

It would be natural for some people to use more words than others. A teacher for example would use more words than say the average construction worker or the average person who lives by themselves alone. A mother with young children would no doubt use more words than an engineer who is working on a project by themselves.

Studies also show that we have a lot of words from which to choose. Most languages have around 300,000 different words that people can use. Portuguese has the most with a little over 800,000 words while English has a little over 500,000 different words. There is one language that is unique in that it has only 340 words. It is called Taki Taki (also call Sranan). Taki Taki is an English-based Creole spoken by 120,000 people in the South American country of Suriname.

Of those 500,000+ plus words that we have at our disposal in the English language the average English speaking person uses less than 10% of them. In fact, while the average English speaking adult understands the meaning of over 40,000 words they only use only about 50% of them in everyday conversation.

With all of that in mind let’s take a few minutes this morning to see how we can use our words to not only enhance our lives but the lives of others. Let’s first of all examine the power of our words.

I. Words have Tremendous Power

All one has to do is to open up the Bible and you can see the power and the majesty of words; especially when they are being spoken by the Lord God Almighty –

“In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light, and there was light.” – Genesis 1:1-3 (NRSV)

As you go on and read the rest of Genesis chapter one you read how everything was created and blessed by God’s words – God literally spoke everything into existence and then proclaimed a blessing over everything that He had created. All of that happened through words.

The Apostle John goes even further in the beginning of his gospel by referring to Jesus as the Word, or self-expression of God. The Word, though distinct from God is Himself also God and the One through whom the world was created. The Word is therefore the giver of life and the light of life. (see John 1:1-5)

The writer of Proverbs 18:21 testified of the power of words:

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

Our speech; our words (out tongue) have power this morning. We need to understand that our words have tremendous power. Think for a moment:

+The world was created by God’s words – words that created all the beauty of the skies, the mountains and the valleys. Words created the majesty of the birds in the air, the fishes in the seas and the animals on the land. Words created the fellowship of Adam and Eve with one another and with the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. There is a great deal of good that can come out of words.

+ And there is a great deal of pain that can come out of words. Satan used words to deceive Adam and Eve. He tempted them to rebel against the LORD God Almighty. Unfortunately, they obeyed Satan’s words and as a result all mankind fell under the power and the penalty of sin. This is what happens when words are used wrongly.