Have you ever heard the phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me?” Many of us grew up hearing it from well-meaning parents. It was mostly used to teach us not to care about what other people think or say. The truth is, it’s just not true.” Words can hurt. Words have power.
The Bible teaches us that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”—Proverbs 18:21
Why would God tell us this if words didn’t have power?
A Creation Created With Words
When God created this world, He spoke it into existence. All He had to say was “Let there be light,” and there was light. God said, “Let there be a firmament…” and there was a firmament, and He divided the waters too. “Let there be…” was the basis for all creation. We read this in Genesis 1.
When God created man He said, “Let Us make man in Our image…”—Genesis 1:26 What a powerful verse! Let’s think about this verse for a minute. Not only did God make the world by speaking it into existence, but He also made us in His image! Let that sink in.
How Do Words Have Power?
So, how do our words have power? If we’re made in God’s image—and He spoke the world into existence—then our words carry power too. In fact, Scripture is filled with verses about the impact of our words.
Some of my favorite verses about this topic are:
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”—Ephesians 4:29
“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” —Colossians 4:6
“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bone.”—Proverbs 16:24 (This one is my favorite)
As you can see, God calls us to avoid harsh words and speak life to ourselves and others.
A Lesson From the Garden
I remember in school, we used to have science fair projects that we would have to do every year. Usually it involved an experiment, report and trifold to present.
One of the coolest projects involved placing three identical plants in separate rooms with the same conditions. One was spoken to kindly, one neutrally, and the other harshly. Can you guess what happened?”
The plant spoken to kindly flourished, while the one spoken to harshly died.
Plants actually respond to vibrations. When you speak gently to a plant it changes enhances cellular activity promoting growth. Harsh sounds like yelling create vibrations that can disrupt cells, damage roots, and hinder nutrient uptake.
While plants don’t have a nervous system, they still respond to environmental stimuli, whether positive or negative. So speak life into your plants as well!
Speak Life-Make Your Words Count
Our words carry incredible power— to build up or tear down, heal or hurt, bring life or cause harm. Just as God spoke the world into existence, He gave us the power to shape our world with our words.
Have you ever been in a heated conversation and said something you probably shouldn’t have? Maybe you said something in the moment that was harsher than you intended in the heat of the moment. How did the person on the receiving end feel? Or maybe there was a time when you were silent when someone desperately needed a word of encouragement? On the flip side, have you ever offered a kind, uplifting word of encouragement? How did that person respond? Chances are, they responded with joy, gratitude or even a sense of relief.
Remember, words can have a lasting impact. So today, let’s choose to speak life. Let’s encourage, uplift, and bless those around us with words full of grace and kindness. When you feel tempted to speak harshly, pause and T.H.I.N.K.—Is it True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind?
Your words can be a source of healing and hope. They can reflect God’s love which can be a positive light—especially these uncertain times.
How will you use your words today? Share one way you can speak life into someone’s day in the comments below and thanks so much for reading!