Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose. Proverbs 18:21 (MSG)
We need to understand the power of language if we want to experience joy in our lives.
The words you speak influence your future. In Mark 11:23, Jesus said that you will have what you say if you believe it. Proverbs 18:21 says that your words either bring life or death. The way you talk can bring death to your relationships, it can cause you to either love or hate your job, and it can also influence whether or not you live each day with joy.
If you’re married, you could say, “I had no idea being married would be so much work. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it.” Just remember that you’re planting pictures in your imagination which are helping to determine your future. Instead, you could say, “Our marriage is special and we work at it every day. We talk and figure things out together.” You’re talking about the same situation, but with a positive spin, which helps you to experience more joy in your marriage.
You could go home to a messy house after asking your kids to clean it and yell, “Why are you such pigs! You never listen to me!” Or, you could calmly give your kids a consequence for their actions, saying something like, “You lose a day of TV for not getting your chores done and you can only play after they’re finished, but I know you guys can do this!” You’ll not only be more effective, but your words will create positive pictures.
Your words can cause you to think positively about your life and can make people feel good about themselves. This skill is a Biblical principle to living a life with joy!