Words Matter

November 2023

Happy November!  A month we typically shift our focus to gratitude and thankfulness!  In pausing to reflect, gratitude and thankfulness change everything.  I no longer “have to” do things, “I get to” do things.  I get to go to work!  I get to shovel snow!  I get to drive a car to work!  I get to spend time with family! I get to practice my faith without fear.  I get to exercise!  I get to eat healthy!  I get to choose!

“Life and death are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). The power of the spoken and written word.  Words are permanent. My words will either speak life or death!  I chose life!  I say what is in my heart.  We are the only living creatures with a living voice.  Dogs can bark when someone is at the door or they need to go outside and certainly some animals have a sound like a voice, but the human voice is unique.  Words are like seeds that produce after their kind.  When I speak words of life, I plant seeds of life.    

Speaking hopeful and positive things impacts even plants and water.  Ikea experimented with two plants with identical soil, light, water, plant food, and growing conditions.  Students from the United Arab Emirates school were tasked to speak bullying words to one plant while speaking affirming and encouraging words to a second plant.  The plant that was “bullied” began to die after 30 days while the “affirmed” plant was flourishing and growing.  If words impact a plant, imagine what impact words have on a person. 

Japanese scientist, Dr. Masaru Emoto, studied the impact of the molecular structure of water.  Dr. Emoto spoke intentional words over water.  He also played music over water to see the impact on the molecular structure of the water.  After freezing the water droplets and photographing them under a microscope, he made an astonishing discovery.  These pictures show the molecular structure of various words spoken over the water.  Dr. Emoto published his work in, “The Hidden Messages in Water.”  Imagine!  The human body is comprised of 70% water and imagine the impact of the words we speak to ourselves and others.  There is power in the words spoken over us.  What is the molecular structure of the words you speak?  Are you planting life as you speak to yourself and others?

Photographs taken from Dr. Masaru Emoto library.

Shatterproof shared a recommended language guide when having conversations regarding person’s substance use.

Words change the atmosphere.  Have you ever heard something that sucked the air and life right out of you and the room you were in?  Almost like a gasp!  “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” would be better stated, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, and words will always hurt me.”  When I think back to my earlier years, I can recall mean and cruel things that were spoken to me by a classmate in 4th grade.  Those words still come to mind at times.  Words reproduce after their kind.  These were words of death!  When I pull those words close to my heart, I embrace the negative impacts of these statements as truth.  Likewise, I have had people in my life who believed the best in me, affirmed me, and saw all that was good in me.  I love to be with those people!  How do affirming, encouraging people make you feel? 

Words are truly a gift or a curse.  I would like to challenge you for the next 10 days to speak life about yourself, to yourself and about your situations.  Also, seek to speak truth and life to and about others.  When you catch yourself criticizing or complaining, find something going well and speak about this instead.  May you nourish your spirit, heart, mind, and soul with nutritious words that promote life! Words produce after their kind! Awaken to your ability to notice what is going well and comment on it.  May you speak nourishing words to those around you as you see more and more things that are going well and give voice to those things.   Speak life.  Plant seeds of life with your words!