THE POWER OF WORDS

Have you ever had that moment when words escape you? When you simply cannot put together enough of a sentence to say what you want to say?  That was me, writing this article. For the first time in my life, there was a blank slate. There was a vacuum where there should have been words. This made me think about words themselves.

Words are some of the most powerful things that exist. Words are used to negotiate, persuade, and encourage.  Words can be used to motivate and inspire as well as teach and communicate. These are the words that build positive relationships within a community.

Yet words can do the opposite too. They can hurt, and they can be used to discourage and demotivate. Words are used to push others away, crush someone's spirit or break someone’s heart. They're used to threaten, instil fear, and intimidate. The worst thing about this are the invisible scars those words leave behind. Scars that people can carry with them for a life-time. You can’t see the scars, but often words spoken without thought leave deep wounds, and despite someone’s best efforts to erase them, they remain, impacting how someone feels about themselves and how they react to those around them.

In life, people will naturally dwell on the negative. This was shown by studies conducted by Dr. John Cacioppo of the University of Chicago, which revealed "the negativity bias" of the brain. Our brains are actually more sensitive and responsive to unpleasant news. That's why personal insults or criticism hit us harder and stay with us longer.

When we think about all of these things, let’s remember to use our words wisely, particularly when we are dealing with young lives. Let’s recognise the power that words have. Let’s be a community of people who use words to build each other up and not tear each other down.

Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:4 (NLT)

Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose. Proverbs 18:21 (MSG)

Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing. Proverbs 12:18 (NLT)